This
is actually an old letter from a close friend. I hope this is worth sharing.
Dear
friends,
I will start to write this letter with a smile, with my
heart hoping that a smile will begin your reading with peace.
Most of the lines in this letter are inspired by Mother
Teresa of Calcutta. I am associating her as she has been my personal champion
on being a servant to others. I am not trying to own though her statements. I
am only trying to share this wisdom which in my life became part of my stronger
foundation in the love of God and fellowmen.
One day, I went to a place I never imagined to exist. I
saw a real picture of uncomforting scene moving from the very least of my
vision. The place was somewhere in Tondo, Manila. I have been to a part of it
where all seem to be so dark and bad. And I have more words to describe it but
I don’t think I have to mention all here in details.
Then I met these little angels of that place. For them it
is their heaven. It is where they live and play; it is where they thought life
is just like that. But that was totally a heartbreaking encounter because I
don’t think it is the right term to call their home as heaven not even at least
a home to live.
When I had a chance to talk to one of them, I was really
startled. He asked me one question that almost caused me to cry. "Kamusta
kuya?" He asked it with his genuine smile, his arms on both sides and his
legs that are a little bit opened. I was not able to help my knees to bend and
to reply, “Mabuti! Ikaw?” The next part was then a memory that tattooed in my
very soul.
Their pure heart has inspired me to love more. And this
inspires me to help and to be their voice to my family and friends and if
possible to the world. But of course, it is not that easy.
The first question was for me. "Can I really do it?”
The second questions were for others. "Can someone help me do it
together?"
Reality shows that some would express rejection when I
ask others to help these children. They would throw to me to better teach
especially the parents on how to fish and not just feeding them with fish. And
this breaks my heart again. I wonder why the billionaires of the world cannot
do this with their means. I wonder why I should have thought it when I can only
do small things.
Not all of us can do
great things. But we can do small things with great love.
Then Mother Teresa has helped me realized what is the
deeper meaning of fishing and fellowman.
Fishing is not all about on how to become self-sufficient
in terms of physical needs. Fishing is also knowing the right direction and at
the end, on how we share this catch to others. We have all our own roles and it
is up to the person which one should he act.
I realized that I may not directly teach them how to fish
because of my small means. But there are these people who are dedicated to help
these children on how to fish. At least with my small effort to support these
servants, I become their source of big inspiration to love without getting
tired. I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; but together we
can do great things.
Just like Mother Teresa, I believe that we the small ones
cannot feed a hundred people but at least I can feed one. You can feed one. I
can help one and you can help one too. We can really not do great things as
those with much wealth but we can do small things with great love.
At the end of the day I know God won’t give us anything
we can't handle. Like my champion, I just also wish He did not trust us so much
for we cannot really change the world. However, we can cast a stone across the
waters to create many ripples.
If you are interested to help too, please don’t hesitate
to send me a message. Let us help these neglected children in Tondo by being a
volunteer or a donor. A pair of slippers worth Php50 or less and some candies,
chocolate bars, a notebook and a pen, soap and shampoo, a toothbrush and
toothpaste, all in a shoebox will let them feel the love.
They have been very hungry for love just as how they try
to pass a day with leftover foods from a trashcan. For these innocent souls,
life is really a challenge. But let us hand in hand meet it with them. Sadly,
some of them would consider life as a sorrow, but we can help them overcome it.
And that somehow, someday we will let them feel that life is a game and a song.
Let us play with them and sing it with a happy heart.
Very
truly yours,
Ben
p.s.
"Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary.
What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things
because it is in them that your strength lies." -Mother Teresa of
Calcutta.
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I also want to share this video. Credits to the owner of the video whom I could not search in the internet at the moment.
