little teachers: laugh loud

I'm venturing into new territory here.

You may or may not know that with my work I do a lot of travel, especially into developing nations. I've been doing outreaches for the last 10+ years, both as a single person and now together with my husband and family. (I'm a big believer in family volunteerism and teaching our kids how to serve others while they're still young.)

We teach, we advocate, we do relief work. We volunteer in schools, orphanages, clinics, and churches. We help refugees, the poor, and those in need of care. We're no heroes... we just love, give what we've received, and know that it is an absolute privilege to do so.

And so because of this work that I so deeply adore, I've been to many, many nations all over the planet. Literally.

But my favorite place in all the world to be is Asia. Anywhere in Asia. It's a land that makes my heart burst.

One of the things that delights me to no end is going for long walks on my days off wandering through cities or villages and photographing the people that I meet. I could spend days on end doing this.... walking, connecting, capturing, recording.

And since the Memos is all about motherhood and parenting and children, I thought it fitting to introduce you to some of the very special children in my life. Hence my new series that I will post now and then - All the Children of the World: Little Teachers.

These beautiful littles don't "belong" to me. In fact, often I can't even recall their names.

But always I will remember their faces, the moments we shared together, and the ways they impacted my life.

Each one of them is beyond precious.

Allow me to introduce you to some boys I met in Pontianak, Indonesia (on the island of Borneo).

{buddies in borneo - 2008}

Although nowhere near my best on a technical level, this photo remains one of my all time favorites so I thought it fitting to kick off this new series with it.

These boys loved having their photo taken. No doubt it was their grand debut on the international stage and they didn't waste a moment of it.

They splashed, they ran, they danced, and they hollered. They closed their eyes, threw their heads back, and unabashedly roared with laughter.

I love the color and movement and emotion in this photo and how it captures the pure abandon with which they were enjoying the moment.

Every time I see it I'm reminded to play hard, laugh loud, and hold somebody's hand.

Dear friends, what have the Little Teachers in your life taught you or reminded you to do lately?

smiling wide,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
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