The ABC’s of Attachment

I have a wonderful memory that illustrates the ABC’s of attachment that I’d like to share with you. It is a story of a group of hill tribe children in Thailand that I met back in 2003. I was a college senior student who came to the small hill tribe village to become a volunteer teacher as part of my thesis.

At first, people treated me like strangers but after spending 2 months in the village, teaching & helping them harvest rice, learning to live like a Karen tribe member and speaking their language, I had become bonding with a group of children in that village and we are still connected with each other until now.

The village had no electricity. It was very hard to commute, the car could not get into the village. Villagers lived in the mountain and have their own language. It was hard for me to communicate at first and I really wanted to be able to communicate with children and parents. So I asked the village headman to tell villagers if they want to learn the Thai language with me and I will learn the Karen language with them.

I remember those sweet memories very well when a group of little girls from age 4-10 years old walking down the foothill to learn my language at my cottage and I learn their language. In their hands they carry candles. We laughed and use body language and then we later on starting to be able to communicate. I felt like I became their family. I had close bonds with those group of little girls who helped me learn to speak their language. We attuned to each other and we felt so connected.

At the end of the program, the headman of the village asked if I could stay and teach their children. I cried and little girls cried. We can easily bond and feel safe and feel connected very strongly with people who aren’t related to you. This friendship is forever. Teaching at this small hill tribe village inspired me to become a teacher. The degree I graduated with was not a teaching degree – it took me 11 years to enter the Montessori path at Age of Montessori in 2014.