Lend a Hand

believe that the opportunity to help is always there.
we just have to be keen and sensitive to the needs of others.
we do not need much to help.
most often, we might feel hesistant to help because we have thoughts that we cannot still address all their problems anyway.
true, we extend a hand and there are still a number of pressing problems that need to be addressed.
but, should that fact be a defining point whether to help or not?
should we delimit ourselves to share whatever little we have?

sharing, loving and blessing other people with who we are and what we have know no place nor time;
it however knows the sincerity of the heart and purity of one's intention.
as i immerse myself in the community where i am assigned to do fieldwork, i have realized how blessed i am to be able to eat three times a day or even more.

i reckoned how damn lucky i am to sleep in a house with a comfortable, soft bed, with electricity, with sofa, with a table, with aplliances and much more.
yes, i am blessed to have much as i compare myself with the people i encounter in the area.
but, the challenge is not how quick i am to reflect on these, rather it is more on what i do with the realization that i am blessed.

there were days when my heart is crushed over and over again by the stories people share to me, especially the mothers. mothers crying for they cannot send their children to school because they do not have enough money to buy for uniforms and school supplies. i do not wonder anymore for they are also in short of money to afford three meals a day.

what do i do then? cry? no good.
when they talk, i just sit there at their side, look at their eyes and try hard to convey a message of hope;
assuring them that as long as we live, we have all the reasons to hope and to look forward to brighter days ahead.
i hope it is all that easy. whew!

i am writing this because you may just want to consider buying a notebook for some children who do not have at the moment.
i am writing this because you might have longed to help but you are still waiting for that chance or that best time to extend help. well, this could be now :)

one time, as i walk back to the main road, a little girl asked me, "do you have an extra watch?".
i thought for a moment then said, "i am not sure if it still works", then i asked her,"why are you asking?".
she then answered, "ah, it is my dream to have a watch. my father saw a watch at the road last time and brought it home. he promised to fix it, until now he has not fixed it."

Awww.. just when everyone is so preoccupied in realizing their big dreams, there is this little girl who considers having a watch as her greatest dream to date.

people in the community have a lot of great stories to share.
their everyday triumphs are unimaginable!
much can be said about them and about my encounters in there, but it is different if you experience it yourself.

for now, my plea is - if you are willing to help in anyway to the people, especially to the children in the community, let me know :)
malou