Let’s go
@Playing room
This page is our shared cheat sheet. The intermediate steps are collected here so that we can see and discuss them internally in a central location. In addition, the new yuuflow version can already be set up.
Preface
For those reading between the lines
This is the story of a child whose beginnings are largely unknown.
What we do know: he was born in India and arrived in Germany at nine months of age. Everything in between is a fog of missing names, forgotten places, and silent records.
His adoption was anonymous. The conditions – most likely difficult.
And yet: someone opened a door for him.
This book is about what happens when a door opens. About becoming a bridge between worlds. About turning uncertainty into possibility.
The pages that follow speak to children – in simple words and big images. And they speak to adults – between the lines, between the pictures, between the memories.
This story is an invitation: To listen. To reflect. To tell your own story. To become a door-opener. A bridge. A builder of what comes next.
Where I Come From
I was born in India, but nobody knows exactly where.
Many people came and went – but no one stayed long.
I cried a lot.
They gave me sugary water, but little closeness.
I was tiny. And I waited.
#1
Where I Come From
I was born in India, but nobody knows exactly where.
Many people came and went – but no one stayed long.
I cried a lot.
They gave me sugary water, but little closeness.
I was tiny. And I waited.
IMG: Baby [me] lying alone, large eyes. Changing shadows (many people, faceless). Bottle of sugar water nearby.
@tk2:
As a template, perhaps the picture of the room in the home in Udupi that I visited in 2013? That was probably the last time I was there with my biological mother in India - before my journey through India began - and finally ended in DE). Real component: Hospital room
#2
Someone is Searching
Far away, two people wanted to help a child.
They had no idea who I was.
But they wanted to find me.
They believed in me before they met me.
And they came.
IMG: World map with flight path - DE > IND as a background. Two adults looking outward with hope in front of their house
@tk2:
Idea: Real component: From the real house and garden back than (small child in the kitchen- house )
#3
The Journey.
A man came, lifted me up – very gently.
I was very weak.
But I could fly.
Above the clouds.
Into a new country.
#3
The Journey
A man came, lifted me up – very gently.
I was very weak.
But I could fly.
Above the clouds.
Into a new country.
IMG: Airport scene. Man holding baby. Airplane flying above clouds. Baby looking out the window, holding teddy bear.Airport scene. Man holding baby. Airplane flying above clouds. Baby looking out the window, holding teddy bear.
@tk2:
Baby gave Dad a light tug on his beard and smiled. (He really did. He still says that today when he says: From that moment on, we had a contract).
Idea: Real component: If Airplane on the picture,: Maybe with the real Flight number or airplane shortcut-code ( I think I can find it out ).
#4
Arrival
Everything was new: smells, voices, colors.
I got a coat, a name, a voice.
I grew.
Slowly.
But I lived.
IMG: German winter scene. Child receiving hat and coat. Warming hands. First steps. New home in the background.
@tk2:
Maybe me as a baby in the baby carriage with the lamb that Ulla made herself (which still exists. You know the one. I have it here. Se held it last)
Idea: Real component: Self made little lamb
#5
Family
I had no known siblings.
But I had two hands holding me.
They gave me warmth.
They gave me words.
They gave me time.
And slowly, I became me.
IMG: Three people (child in the middle), holding hands. Fly angel fly
@tk2:
Idea: Real component: Fly angel fly - in front of Grandparents home
#6
The Heart Map
I learned what matters:
Listening.
Compassion.
Being real.
And that every person counts.
IMG: Compass with words instead of directions: Respect – Courage – Compassion – Honesty. Child at the center with open arms.
@tk2:
A large, slightly open heart, designed as a map - not anatomically, but as lovingly drawn terrain: Paths, trails, small bridges and doors run through the heart. Everywhere there are words as places: e.g. City of Trust, Lake of Listening, Forest of Compassion, Mountain of Honesty, Field of Mirrors, River of Sadness, Path of Joy ( > In the center: the child holding the map in his hand - or standing barefoot on one of the paths, with an open mind/ eyes. )
Idea: Real component: Today’s Area Map - in my Hand(s)
#7
Who I Became
I grew older.
I worked with words, with people, with ideas.
Sometimes I won.
Sometimes I failed.
But I kept going.
IMG: Two side-by-side scenes: Applause during a public keynote – then alone with crumpled papers. Facial expressions correspondingly joyful and pressed on the other side
@tk2:
Dual scene: stage & inner shadow world:
Left: the child (or an older teenager) stands on a stage, spotlights, many clapping hands, everything colorful and loud.Right (as a smooth transition into the darker): the same person sits all alone in a quiet room, many crumpled pieces of paper around them, gaze lowered, everything more bluish and quiet.
Idea: Real component: Notes and crumpled paper-balls - absolutely me :)
#8
Back to India
I returned.
It was loud, colorful, strange – and familiar.
I was excited.
But it also hurt.
Sometimes both at once.
IMG: A scene from my first India trip. Alone, as a teenager.
@tk2:
A teenager (me, as an 18 year old) is walking alone through a typical, busy street in Mumbai (stylized, not documentary). I am carrying a backpack, a bit too big for my body - symbolizing: “too much at once”. All around: color, movement, life - market stalls, tuk-tuks, tangled cables, goats, music, laughter, honking. But: I move calmly, almost slowly, as if in another time. The expression on my face: deep, alert, amazed - but not cheerful. His eyes are not focused on anything, but take in everything at once. A slight light falls on me - but shadows surround me.
Idea: Real component: Using walkman with wired headphones - from the 90s
#9
And Thailand?
I went to Thailand too.
All alone, to a monastery.
It was quiet – unlike anything before.
I felt light.
And I brought a little dog home.
IMG: Temple garden, trees, child in monk robe. Dog “Mogli” walking beside. Calm, light, simplicity
@tk2:
With Mogli in Wat Umong! 😍 (If dual picture: Plus a station scene at the Hualamphong train-station in BKK)
Idea: Real component: Wat Umong and Mogli
#10
Crossing Points
Some waves don’t come from the sea.
Some arrive in your heart, all at once.
A place you must leave.
A goodbye you didn’t expect.
And somehow, a new place to begin.
Every end can contain a new beginning.
You have to move. And learn to stand again.
IMG: A teenager (around 16–18 years old) stands alone in nature at a visible fork in the path. quiet, not sad.
@tk2:
Scene: View from behind or slightly sideways. The figure appears calm and thoughtful. Two clearly defined paths branching gently: One slightly shaded and narrower. One more open and lightly sunlit. Surroundings: soft hills, a few scattered trees, light movement in the grass, peaceful natural setting.
Idea: Real component: A typically path in a Thai forest (for example, because eThailand is a crossing point for me since the last 25 years. Again and again.)
#11
Goodbye
My mother got sick.
I went to her.
We talked – so much that had been silent for years.
Then she left.
And I stayed.
IMG: Hospital / Hospice scene with soft light. Mother in bed, me holding her hand. Real room from photo.
@tk2:
From the real photo of her last room
Idea: Real component: Maybe + little lamb
#12
Back to the Beginning
I moved back to where it all began.
Back to the city of my childhood.
I was close to my father again.
This time, I had something to give.
And give back.
The circle closed.
IMG: The three buildings were I have lived in Fürth (last one the current one). And in formt of this one maybe me with a bx under the arm - symbolizing my relocation back to this place
@tk2:
Idea: Real component: The building(s) it self - or a nice viel of the beautiful street in which I lived in different houses (maybe easier to draw)
#13
Create Connections
I started the India Child Care association.
For kids who struggle like I did.
And even more so.
We initiated a school.
Connected with beekeepers.
And launched art projects together with Teresa.
Because stories can open what fear keeps closed.
IMG: Teresa drawing with children. And her picture shows Indian and / or Thai children with hives (on a canvas or tablet)
@tk2:
Idea: Real component: All the components of this image idea
#14
Who Stays
Some talk a lot. But do little.
Others say nothing. And simply stay.
Not everyone who stays, stays well.
I’ve seen it all.
And I’ve learned, once again:
The quietest presence is often the strongest.
Because actions speak louder than words.
Always.
IMG: A few children painting or playing. They are completely absorbed, without excitement, without seeking attention. The surroundings are quiet. No chaos, no noise. Perhaps one child is painting with watercolors. Another is sitting on the floor and putting together something from building blocks. A third is looking up at the sky or quietly drawing.
@tk2:
They are there. Simply there. Without calculation. Without tactics. Without a mask. And that is precisely what makes their presence so strong. An adult (or even better: a couple) stands slightly in the background, observing them quietly. Not from the center, but from the edge. They may smile slightly - as someone who has just realized: "This is it. This is real existence." We are the couple 😍
Idea: Real component: The whole image idea. Maybe NM- kids + Priyanka
#15
And you?
Here’s what you can take with you – if you like:
A. You matter – even when you feel small.
B. Everyone is different – and that’s a good thing.
C. Grown-ups are just kids – with more stories.
IMG: Three doors. Behind each, a child. Each door is different. A ray of sunlight connects them.
Afterword
What Became of This Story
The story you just read isn’t only in the past.
It continues – in real places, with real people, in real projects.
Today we support children in India who might’ve been forgotten – like I once almost was.
We make honey with schools, work with youth –
and tell stories so that hope can grow.
If you’d like to help, you can find out more here:
www.indiachildcare.org
Your story matters, too.
Maybe you’ve lived through something.
Something hard. Something beautiful.
Something that shaped who you are.
If you’d like to share your story, we’d love to hear it.
Some stories may become part of printed books.
Others might be shared online – or grow into something completely new.
If you’d like to be part of this growing circle, just reach out.
You can send us your story, your questions, or your ideas. We read everything – and we answer with an open heart.
The Book behind the Book
For those who feel there’s more:
This story is based on real experiences.
Many things could only be touched on here –
too deep, too complex, or too real for a children’s book.
Another publication is in the making:
“The ABC- Book” – for adults and older teens.
It speaks of roots and ruptures, of silence and truth,
of what heals us and what we can become.
If something in this story resonated with you –
if you carry a story of your own,
or want to build bridges, plant seeds, or open doors –
Join us.
We work with the stories of children, families, adults and real communities
in Germany, India and Thailand.
And every time someone joins –
something changes. For them, and for us.
