Good friends just returned from a trip to Thailand and Cambodia. When asked about their adventure one thread was continual. They were consistently moved by the smiles on the faces of the people they came in contact with - moments of pure joy.
They told us of the blessing given to them by a blind street merchant after a small sale; the stranger freely giving directions; little ragamuffin children waving “Hello” from their small one room huts on stilts; the true thanks for a tip from a driver, a waiter or guest house clerk and how they bowed gently with their hands in child like prayer.) Honest gratitude was commonplace.
In Cambodia, they witnessed resiliency; a recovering dignity and simple joy that existed amidst the poor, orphans and those with missing limbs (maimed by mines and unexploded ordinance in the countryside). In the south of Thailand they visited a child they sponsored through one of many NGO’s assisting the needy. They laughed and sang with happy children while visiting their elementary school. Though the playground was rocky and computers few and far between, the lack of material possessions couldn't’t dampen the joyful exchange.
In both countries, they found a common bond of simplicity in the day to day task of living and were moved by the happiness they witnessed in people who had so little of what we come to expect as necessities for "happiness" in North America.
Their experience of family life in Thailand was such that it confirmed the benefits of loyalty and loving, extended care. In Cambodia they met a youthful waiter who was the sole support for his wife, two children, mother and father and temporarily, two cousins. Like so many rural families they had moved close to the city where there was more opportunity for work. The waiter was going to school part time to learn computers in hopes of a better job. He made $50 a month and rarely could afford to go home just 30 kilometres from the city. Gasoline is over $1 a litre! Transportation and housing are both expensive. His tale was common; his task formidable; his courage, remarkable.
The generosity they experienced was not limited to residents. In Cambodia at the temples of Angkor they witnessed the spontaneous generosity of fellow travelers when a Vietnamese tourist responded to a compliment about his colorful ball cap by walking up to my friend and saying, “Here! I give it to you!” Momentarily mind blown with joy, our friend (after closing his jaw) said “Thank you!” They told us of many other travelers who were always willing to offer travel tips and engage their experiences.
This is not to say my friends were not aware that every country has a dark side with crowded cities and caution flags, especially after dark, but their experience demonstrated how simple kindness, respect and an attitude of gratitude can be practiced anywhere. Not so much to make the evening news or because it takes MONEY to be generous but rather that a simple, honest smile is really all it takes to get the generosity ball rolling.
It reminds me of the story of the widow's mite - she gave all she had. I doubt she was not the only one smiling. Next time you have occasion to observe a small child watch for his or her smile. Perhaps the simple smile of little children is the doorway to divine joy – Ananda!
In Thailand the words for thank you are Kap Kum Kaa(p) and in Cambodia Au Kun! Really thanking someone is both a smile and a prayer, a blessing in disguise. As the song goes…."When your smiling……………"
Anthony
cambodia family generosity joy kids merchant thailand waiter
