Incredible jubilation and excitement broke forth on the Palm Tree Orphanage on Friday. The children ran around in frenzy, hooting and hollering as loud as their little lungs would allow. They gave Dan and I hugs and thanked us over and over again. Then, when they received the picture of their sponsor, and truly understood the nature of the project, they all wished to write to thank their sponsors. And so they did. As Dan and I rode the bus back to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh last night, I kept a small handbag that the children had made safely at my feet. It was suddenly the most valuable thing I owned, because it held the letters the children had written the night before in thanks for the bikes they had received. I wish you all could have been there to witness the event and receive the gratitude that was heaped on Dan and I. Truly, this amazing moment could not have happened without your help and support. I accepted their thanks in proxy, and was humbled to do so.
Later on, as it became dark, I sat back and watched the children riding their bikes, smiles on their faces, bells ringing out like Christmas day. It reminded me of the first time I rode a bike, and the joy and freedom that that feeling had given me, and I could see that same joy and freedom reflected in the faces of the children.
And it meant different things to different children. The older children saw it in more practical terms. Now they could ride to school, or to work, or to the market. The younger children saw it as just plain fun, a way to cruise around the orphanage with wreckless abandon.
When I was a kid, my bike was a specialized spy machine, complete with rocket launchers and a jet engine, that would transport me through many adventures around the world (actually just the neighborhood) and helped me escape more than a few tight spots from the bad guys. I am sure many of these children will also establish elaborate make-believe games around their bikes.
I am honored by the amazing response that so many people have given to this project. Thank you. The Moment of Happy was a moment I will always treasure.
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