This sweet little girl came to the mission a couple days ago. She's one and a half years old and her mom brought her here because she can no longer take care of her so she would like us to put her into an orphanage. The mom is only two years older than I am, she has 5 children and her husband recently left her. With no job and no means of support she is wanting to give away her youngest child before things get worse. A small part of me can understand doing what you have to do to make sure your family is taken care of, even if that means making a huge sacrifice, although I can't imagine anything more devastating than giving up a child. I suppose part of where I still have trouble understanding the culture here is how the mom was smiling and acting very matter-of-fact about the situation. The little girl was singing and playing, clearly happy and well cared for. The mom was affectionate with her and I didn't see any signs of sadness or deeper emotion. I wonder if this is an example of Haitian stoicism or she really was as ok with the idea of giving up her child as she seemed.