A parental goodbye to the Valley

Our last visit to the Valley, home to our son these last two years, but a connection that began in the Deepavali of 2010.

A place we instantly fell in love with as a family, a place where everytime we visited my faith in humanity was recharged, a place where gentle positive energy flowed. 

Scrochingly hot and dry, the trees stood like skeletons.  Did they miss the sound of the children I wondered, or did they heave a collective sigh of relief as peace and quiet descended on the campus?! The siris seemed to enjoy the weather, or did its roots have a secret supply of water? The birds had nowhere to hide, and even the shy white browed bulbuls were exposed. And then I saw this Jamun tree (Syzgium cumini) full of leaf and flower! A Tickell's Blue flitted about in this oasis of green, as also a Chloropsis! The beautiful flowers The weaver ants were busy colonising a tree..... ...while the Jacaranda near the dining hall was in full bloom.... ....and a whole family of hoopoes hunted for lunch. Spied a pair of Malkohas at the guesthouse.The owlets were there too, on the copper pod tree near the senior school.

And then we left, our connection as parents done with.

But we will be back I am sure, to this place where, quietly and without fuss, experiments in education and sustainable living go on, and where I learnt to let go and watch.