Story by Amy Alderman
Photo by Nandhu Kumar @nandhukumar_nk
My faith in humanity restored: On a whim, we went to Navy Pier to visit the Children’s Museum on March 4, 2018. What we didn’t realize is we happened to go during Holi, a Hindu spring festival of love and colors.
After visiting the museum, we wandered the pier. What we found was the sound of a massive techno dance party, but instead of ravers, I saw children propped up on their parents’ shoulders and everyone was smattered in bright colors, waving their arms and pumping fists in the air.
As part of the Holi celebration of spring and love, people pat or throw powdered colors on each other.
As we watched and danced with my three-year-old daughter in my arms, a very happy grandpa with two little boys looked to us and said, “Would she like some color?”
“Yes!”
We kneeled and the two little boys dabbed their grandpa’s palm. They gently tapped my daughter’s arm with two fingers of yellow powder.
The grandpa looked at my husband and I. He reached out and shouted gleefully, “Happy Holi!” as he generously blotted our cheeks with colors.
For a moment, I felt like family with complete strangers who showed me the very best in life.
Passages of Gratitude 