Giving Back

I don’t have a pure, holy soul. I have my fair share of slipups. During those moments, my guardian angel flew as far as s/he could go while praying for my salvation. Okay, let’s leave my unholiness at that.

My boyfriend was the first person to point out that I’m always sympathetic towards the homeless, especially if they’re elderly. I can’t help it, I can’t help cursing their families for leaving them, for allowing them to beg for money or sleep on the streets, and for allowing them to feel the pain that nobody deserves to feel.

I do whatever I can to help the needy in my own (probably inadequate) ways. Once, I offered help to an old woman who I thought was only having a hard time crossing an underpass. As it turned out, she was extremely hungry from walking around the city begging for alms. I wrote about meeting her. Like any good Catholic, I prayed & will continue to pray for her safety.

Also, I used to force my boyfriend to pass out a coin to a street person who knocks on his car window. Nowadays, he does this automatically. Maybe, I think, he already feels the same way about elderly street people.

What about the young ones, you might ask. Yes, children who are born victims of poverty grip my heart too. Not as much as old people, only because I believe we should all be given a chance to just enjoy life as we border on old age and not suffer our way to our deathbeds. That, though, doesn’t lessen my willingness to help those kids.

One Good Deed: One for Daraitan

A month ago, my friends from my previous company invited me and The Boyfriend to join a volunteer activity for the kids of Daraitan, Rizal. Unfortunately, that was the date of our departure to Nueva Ecija. Although we weren’t able to go, we handed them school supply kits to be given to the kids. I also asked the help of my TR colleagues, and they were kind enough to take a moment of their time to buy school supplies for people who wouldn’t even be able to personally thank them. To everyone behind this project, I salute you.

 

Legal Editorial Operation's Project 20

It was also recently that I signed up to be a Project 20 donor. The reason why it is called as such is because upon signing up for it, you are to pledge twenty (20) pesos every payday until December. All proceeds will then go to an organization that provides temporary shelter for kids. I personally think this is one genius project.

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This post is not meant to show you that I’m a great person with a kind heart. This serves as a reminder, as my reminder, that I could do good things if I willed myself to do it.

So do I feel better about myself because of these? I think I do.

Stairs Lead You Somewhere

Yesterday evening, I was on my way home when I came across an elderly woman in the Ayala-Paseo underpass. She did not look much older than my mama lola, which is how I call my grandmother. But she looked weaker, and I could feel how tired she was. It was as if each step she made took three seconds. I couldn’t just make my way down the stairs like the rest of the people there. I took her hand, but upon reaching out my hand to her, she asked me for a biscuit. I said I didn’t have a biscuit at that time so I asked her if she wanted me to buy one for her. She has difficulty hearing so she didn’t hear what I said, but she told me that she hadn’t eaten a full meal yet. I asked her to go with me, that I’d buy her dinner.

I wanted to take her to our building’s canteen, but she said no. “Baka mahal diyan (Maybe it’s expensive there),” she said. I said it was okay, but she insisted on eating somewhere inexpensive instead. I didn’t know where else to go, so I led her to a fast food chain, which was just near.

The whole time I was with her, I was teary-eyed. I thought of my grandparents, especially my paternal grandfather who, because of the drift he and his children had, I have never seen nor heard from for a very long time.

My heart goes out to Nanay (mother). I forgot to ask her name. It didn’t really matter at that time. I just wanted to help her. It also didn’t cross my mind that maybe, she frequents that area, asking for alms. What was important was that I eased her pain, even for just a few moments.