Double Mitzvah

This morning, I jumped out of bed and got ready to go to my girls. But this morning was slightly different than the others because a family came to do a chessed project in honor of their son's bar mitzvah. In order to welcome them, we had a Zumba class with the girls from the bar mitzvah group. Initially, it was just the Americans and Israelis dancing together but then we began pulling in the spectators, and soon the girls who were visiting for the bar mitzvah were dancing alongside us. At that moment, it occurred to me that just two weeks ago we were outsiders, and today we were one coherent group welcoming other visitors. It was a good feeling to realize how much we have made this place our home and how far we have come. Another milestone for me was watching one of my girls, who during the first week acted out a bit, was participating today. Those first few days, we were all a bit nervous to hang out with her. Today, she joined in with the group and was having a great time with us all which made me so happy and showed me that we actually make a difference. Then my favorite part of the day came and it was time to put the kids to bed. Laying there with them makes them so happy and it's such a simple gift for us to give them. This comfort is missing in their lives and I love knowing that I can put a smile on their faces before they close their eyes to for the night. It was a great day and I can't wait for my relationships with the kids to develop even more!