A poem for the girls...

I wrote this poem for the girls and read it to them on the truck in Zambia before I got on the plane home...

Getting on a plane and flying away,
is so very difficult, but knowing you'll stay
to play and to learn and to love and to grow,
and fall in love with this place I love so...

Whitney, your leader, so loving and strong,
Chrissie, with confidence - helping nothing go wrong,
Leah, so thorough, so kind and so quick,
Shannon, so happy - being here is a kick.

You've already done so much in such a short time,
tents, money belts, full backpacks and synched time.
Learning the cadence of this daily life,
understanding how to deal with poverty and strife.

Margo, so sweet and open to all,
Mariel, so gentle and standing so tall,
Nicole, asking her great questions with a quick grin,
and Laurel, quietly smiling while taking it in.

How to tell people back home about what you see?
Naughty monkeys? Laughing children waving with glee?
Eating breakfast on the Zambezi enjoying your bread,
while a mighty elephant crashes through trees with its head.

Alexa, the free spirit, with positive feeling,
Alexis, her passion will break down the ceiling,
Sarah, so open and kind to us all,
Kendall, so thorough and watching it all.

Alice, so helpful and such a good friend,
Morgan hoping the semester won't end!
Phoebe so strong with her super happy grin,
Amsara, our diva, taking each experience in,
and Allegra engaged in each moment she's in...

And so many adventures still left to do...
Elephants, kayaking, perhaps a cheetah or two?
The journey you're on is completely your own,
and when you return - your mind will be blown
with all that you've learned and now want to share
since you'll have just been in African air.

And know that I'll miss each of you so much,
and I hope that you will all stay in touch...

(Thank you for sharing your daughters with us - they are amazing!)
-Gennifre