"Let us bring peace into the world by love and compassion, by respecting life,...Let us love each person -- the unborn, the young, the old, the sick and the poor--" (Mother Teresa)

As people were rushing around to get flowers for their loved ones, buying chocolates for their sweethearts, choosing diamonds for their fiancés, wives, girl friends...sending beautiful cards with warm and heartfelt messages, I was driving in the pouring rain and my thoughts took me to a far away place. A place called Kolkata (aka Calcutta), the ancient capital of India. Oh, India, a country of antiquities and stories -- full of stories.

I traveled to Kolkata and my mind lingered and my thoughts slowly took me back to the dark night when my feet touched the soil of India. The airport was small, the queue was long. I waited patiently for the immigration officer to put the stamp on my passport. My heart was pounding, my emotions soared. I finally arrived at the land when Mother Teresa spent most of her adult life, I finally touched the soil that she touched. I finally ventured into the place where she called home. How I longed for this moment! I was excited and was overwhelmed with emotions.

Outside the airport, there were cars, taxis and many forms of transportation. I took a taxi and slowly we drove into the darkness. The city was quiet and I could not see very much. I could not hear very much. We drove through an area of town where many trucks were loading and unloading. Men carried their bags on their heads. Slowly and steadily, they carried their loads to their carts. This was one o'clock in the morning. Kolkata was quiet and the city was asleep. Finally, I arrived at my destination, a small hotel in the slum. I carried my small bag into my quarter - a space that was tiny with a small bed barely enough to lie down. My bathroom was difficult to describe, I lied down to sleep only to be awaken by the bells of the bicycles and the honks of the cars and trucks. I washed my face, hands and cleaned my teeth. I walked outside into the noisy street of Kolkata.

There were hundreds of people roaming on the streets, walking, talking, bathing, washing, eating, ... Buses were filled with people. The buses were so worn and so tired. The eyes of the people were so impressive, they were looking at me, staring into the sky, signs of desperation, signs of hopelessness. I walked slowly toward the AJC Bose Road, a place that I had been dreaming about for many years. I walked toward the Mother House, a bookstore caught my attention, I walked in and there, Mother Teresa was smiling at me. I browsed through the small store and looked at the books. They took me back to the 1930's-- pictures of Mother Teresa, pictures of Kolkata, pictures of people dying on the street, by the river banks, pictures of devastation.

54A A.J.C. Bose Road aka the Mother House is a building in the midst of the slum of Kolkata. I walked past the entrance and found myself looking at this structure, a little boy sensing my situation pulled my pants and pointed me to the other direction. I then saw the doors to the Mother House. Two Sisters greeted me with such warm smiles and guided me to the entrance of Mother Teresa's tomb. Even in the early hours of the morning there were many people in there. We removed our shoes and walked quietly into the hall. Mother Teresa's tomb sits quietly in the room. A Sister was putting fresh flowers on her tomb. I went to the tomb and knelt by her side. Suddenly, all seemed so quiet and tranquil. The noises from the outside were gone, the room smelled fresh and wonderful. We prayed and prayed and we sensed the presence of Mother Teresa in the room. I do not know how long I stayed in her presence but I was so moved by being there that time stood still. At that moment, eternity seemed possible.

Slowly, I moved to the next room to learn about this great person. I slowly digested her letters, notes, pictures, newspaper articles, books, magazines, on and on. Many pictures of Mother Teresa with famous people were on display but what caught my attention was a letter she wrote to some one asking for help--she wrote -- Today we have not one grain of rice... We ask for your help.... How desperate she must have felt! She was indeed a pure and simple woman; all she wanted was to give herself to serve God and people.

There was a Sister who showed me around and I felt so humble and honored to be there. The experience was life changing and  transforming. I felt that I was in a different world. Their life was simple I walked up the stairs to the bedroom of Mother Teresa - a simple bed, a wooden desk and a wooden chair. I really understood how she lived and how she led her life - with purity and simplicity. All the Sisters lived simply. It was only when one visited their home did one really understood that it took such simplicity to really work for the Divine Master. They looked happy and kind and some of them were washing clothes - their simple sari and others were sweeping the floor and the grounds. I walked barefoot in the house and felt completely overwhelmed with gratitude, compassion and humility.

There are seven facilities in Kolkata that one could volunteer. One home looks after babies that have been abandoned from a few days to a couple of years. Some normal, some disabled, and they all looked happy and healthy. There was so much love and attention that I could sensed such great compassion. The children called me auntie and played with me. The babies and children could be adopted. Many people come to help, volunteers come from all over the world - men, women, young, old, professionals, housewives, engineers, doctors, bankers,-- all of them are passionate, all of them are giving and all of them are learning. People want to give because they are touched by the dedication of the Missionaries to serve all human beings in distress, keeping no caste, creed or language as a barrier.

life is full of gifts. Mother Teresa was blessed with the gift of giving at the tender age of 12, she felt her calling. By going to Kolkata, she was given the opportunities to give selflessly. It was my luck to visit Kolkata; it was her gift to me.