What makes a home, a home?

Sometimes when I refer to the importance of keeping things in perspective, I specifically refer to the fact that I (with guilt) feel like I live in the lap of luxury when there are whole families who live under the ramp of the hospital I work out of. I just wanted to give you a little more understanding of what I mean, even though these few pictures doesn't really do the situation justice. Here is the ramp that I push my patients down every day when they go from the recovery room on the third floor to the ward on the ground floor:

On the ground floor a few families have made their homes:

They've put thatching and some metal as siding and that is where they live, it is their home. I believe that most of the people that live there are somehow connected to the hospital as employees. For many months it blew my mind that families have put down their roots here. It broke my heart and made me want to scoop up the children who reside there and take them home. For a long time I felt this sadness every time I walked past until one day I was pushing a patient down in a wheel chair when I heard the unmistakable sound of a television. I looked around trying to figure out where it was coming from when I realized it was coming from the ramp homes! How they managed to get television in there, I have no idea but it made me giggle. People here manage to make the best of even the most desperate situations and that is one of the reasons I will forever be connected to this country. I would have sworn that there was no way they had any 'modern' luxuries down there but, alas, they do! I still giggle every time I walk by and hear familiar commercials. Really though,  here are my two favorite things about the families who live there:

These kids brighten up my day just about every day. I found myself at work both last Saturday and Sunday but I didn't mind one bit because I got to spend a lot of time playing with Samil and Rupa. There were piggy back rides, walking all the way crouched down so they could put their arms around my shoulders, hide and seek, and lots of other silliness that took place last weekend thanks to them. What I can't stop thinking about is how much the little boy reminds me of my nephew Houston. Both in stature and personality. I think Samil is his Indian doppleganger.

By the way cutest baby of the week goes to: