The Shoebox, you and I, and Mother Teresa: On Helping Others

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.

My Last Love Letter

Dear Haide,

I knew from the start that this is happening and of course, I knew it too that we may be happily lived ever after just as the many endings of fairy tales. That was my dream. It could be funny but for real I have dreamt of you to becoming my princess in our little palace- adoring you and taking care of you like a fragile glass; giving you the happiness you deserve while we are taking care of our little princesses and princes.

Do you still remember the time when we first started talking and how we both felt about each other? I would say that that is one of the happiest memories together. I was boundlessly thinking of you even when we part ways. You covered my whole night with your face. My ears could not stop hearing your sweet voice and my arms could still feel the warmth of your hand when you thanked about making an introductory speech.

Days have passed. I kept on missing you. I wanted to see you again. We kept in touch through SMS and I could not help then myself to wait for your replies.

Then one day, we had our first dinner in a cheap and noisy restaurant. But that was never ordinary on my part. It was just like only me and you. It was never in my thoughts that it would happen.

Every day was a Hey day since then. You became my playmate. You became my best buddy. I was so deeply motivated and inspired. I studied hard to prove my worth for you for many guys I knew has also admiration to you. I just could not tell them to stop it for they are on their senior years. It made me so proud though that one of the lovely girls in the city was mine.

Your text messages became the food to my meals. Your calls became the air to my lungs. You kept me going, smiling and dreaming. You were then the best evidence that life is beautiful.

I have loved you so much. You have showed to me how important I am to your life just as how I showed your place in my heart.  

Just like the other guys out there, I became the happiest man in the world when we became in relationship. Though I could not tell if I have courted you but of course you could not tell if you have said yes. I could not even tell when we were in a relationship already. It was just so mutual that our hearts have understood each other and no words have to be spoken out.

I kept on re-reading all our conversations saved on my hard disk and I could not help myself smiling like it is the first time reading them. Those were well kept and at least now you know that I have once treasured them much.

I do not regret every moment we had together even up to the silliest and up to the most stupid things we have done before. But then, I became weak at some point. I became afraid so much that I wanted to go away. This broke my heart. I did pierce my heart by my own decision to hide away from you. I wanted to say sorry. I wanted to talk to you and let you hear my heart deeply sorrowed of being coward.

We haven't spoken in a while and I'm trying to be okay with that. This could be my last letter for you though it would be the first one. It has been a month since the last time we met and yet the pain is still here in my heart. All of my visions turned into smaller pieces that I could hardly think of how I would put them back together. The wind has blown them away and the pieces were wet by the rain. All were gone and me standing alone now here at the corner.

I admit I really miss how things used to be. But I can also admit, that I've accepted the fact that things have changed. And I can also admit that there is still pain I made it by myself.

I do not know yet how to start again. Living without you could be the hardest part for now. I think I need enough courage to face what lies ahead on the road. I think it would take much time to heal the wound that my own hands did and it keeps on giving me pain during the night, of much tears on my pillows and sad faces during the day.

I know that you love me. I could feel that even now that you are gone. But I'll still be there for you when you need me.

I wish I could re-live that one time where everything was perfect between us. I don't need a perfect relationship though, I just need someone who won't give up on me and I thought that was you.

Still waiting but maybe moving on soon,

Phil

.….written during a month of missing you, since the last time we had a talk……

…….and now I am so happy that we are friends again…….