Monday, February 28, 2011

Grateful: tres


You know those moments in life where you experience something, live something, see something that will forever change you? Those times where you know you aren't the same person walking out as walked in? Those moments are kind of scary. Sad-scary, funny-scary, exciting-scary.

I remember so many of them. The day I gave up a belief. The second I saw him laying there and started CPR but already knew it was too late. The day I said "yes." The loud beating of my heart after the slam of the phone. The day I walked off that plane. The moment I decided to not feel guilt about my decision.

They are branded in your memory. They change you.

This weekend I had a changing moment as I spent time with these beautiful children who have nothing. Not "nothing" by our standards, but nothing by any standards. They don't have food on a regular basis or clean clothes or clean water. Most certainly they don't have education which is a fundamental solution to poverty. Not everyone who has a job is rich, but everyone who has an education has the opportunity for a job.



But what they do have is heart, and a need to be loved, and cared for and felt as if they matter to someone and to me and many other volunteers who give their time and money and heart and soul, they do matter.
Today I am not the same person as I was last week.
How could I be?
And grateful?
How could I not be?









3 comments:

Jocelyn said...

Those photos are beautiful.

The experiences you are having are indeed life changing. It's incredible to hear them.

britt said...

Beautiful, Melissa. Makes me teary.

rick07306 said...

Education certainly is key in fighting poverty, that is why the Philippines' Efren Pinaflorida won CNN's 2009 "Hero of the Year", with his "pushcart classroom" concept, bringing the classroom to the children who are at the very bottom of the social ladder, the ones who are unable to go to school,for any reason, like the ones pictured here.
Also, another reason at the root of the problem is the lack of leadership at the top, with the culture of corruption prevalent among government officials.
It's a "breath of fresh air", and an inspiration that an "ordinary" citizen like you, cared and acted to try and make a difference in these people's lives, in the same way as Mr. Pinaflorida.
It's a complicated problem but it only takes a few to inspire others to join in, gain momentum, snowball, and eradicate this problem worldwide.

RR