Have you seen it? I watched it and couldn't stop bawling through most of it. Sobbing out loud, my heart hurt for every one of those children, still there. The millions that are starving and living on the streets. Kajal is them, they are her. I recognized her in every face of the children they showed in the streets. It was brutal and yet so real... so close to what we saw. We saw worse, while we were there.

What a beautiful film to be so honest... so real. Perhaps people will think about these people, good people, people like you and I and yes, our children... who just happen to be born on the streets of India.

I know the name offended a lot of people... I don't believe the filmmakers were calling those that live in the streets dogs. But they were honestly depicting the way many in India do look at them.

The prejudice Kajal and I have received while we were traveling in India and since I've brought her home has been very real. The looks of disgust and hostility, condescension and hatred has been vivid but thank God, not common. It still stuns me that people could look down on a child, one simply born to a different life or with darker skin, than they. I remember when she got car sick coming back from the courts in New Delhi and as I carried her into our 5 star hotel (thank goodness for business travel and frequent flier miles) people turned their heads from us and acted as if we didn't exist. I clutched her in my arms and demanded the valet run and get her a robe and towels so that I wouldn't have to carry her through the expansive marble lobby and have her feel so exposed. I held her in my arms as she hid her head against my shoulder in exhaustion and fear. They ignored my requests at first until I raised holy hell and finally I was able to wrap her in fluffy warm towels and carry her to our room. The looks we got, that she got.. were horrible. I glared at every last person and my heart was full of anger for the prejudice I saw.

I laughed when I noticed what I call the 'head bobble' in the film. The sing song rocking of the head back and forth in a motion of agreement or 'yes'. Kajal did that often when she first came home and I used to confuse the 'bobble' for a negative answer vs. a positive. I miss that  'bobble'.

I was drawn to India for many reasons.. signs I felt were given to me along the way that told me my child was waiting there for me and indeed she was. But the pain, starvation and utter desolation and poverty I saw there, haunts me to this day. And always will.

Watching this movie.... watching the depiction of the children begging for food in the streets, ripped at my heart, at my soul.

When Kajal is tired and hungry, she still makes 'the' motion with her hand. Fingers curled up touching her thumb, moving to the mouth... back and forth, back and forth. In the motion she learned when she too, had to beg for her food.