sharing gems

This is Zetu. She is 7 years old and lives in Delft where we have a Baha'i School. She is smiling widely to show me her new 2 front teeth that seemed to take more than a year to come in. She is the first 'gem' that i have decided to begin sharing on this blog. It entered my heart the other day that Gems Of Oneness must feature individuals whose hearts have touched mine.  Children are easily the biggest group of people who touch my heart.  They are simply irresistable in so many ways..

Zetu loves plants and flowers.  She was one of the youngest who showed interest last year when we were having a gardening project.  She began taking me around the neighborhood to show me various weeds that were so stunning in their adaptability and perseverance amidst sandy soil and blustery winds.  One day i came from Sea Point Primary School with a bucketful of native ground-covering plants.  She eagerly anticipated receiving some to plant in front of her home.  You can imagine how joyful it was to share some with her!  The next week she proudly showed me how they were still standing (or surviving, depending on how you look at it).  New plants require a LOT of protection in a neighborhood where homes are small and children spend most of their time playing and exploring outside.  The plants didn't make it but her heart was all the much happier from trying to nurture them. :-)

She is one of the students in my class of 7-8 year olds at Baha'i School.  She comes very often and despite being one of the younger ones and missing many classes at a time, her overall attendance these past 2 years enables her to demonstrate an ability to answer most of the questions and recite from memory a few of the prayers.