About two years ago I learned a lesson. A good one, too... so, I wanna share the wealth!
*Ahem*
Although I may be made fun of for it, because, well, just because... I am a Girl Scout. =) Well, I was, but now I'm too busy for it. =\ I'm still one at heart, though!
A few years back, my troop decided we were going to collect stuff for orphans in Mexico and bring it down to an orphanage there. We got bunches of stuff: clothes, food, toilet paper.... =) Finally, in November, we were ready to go. The many hour drive down was exhausting, but we all made it in one piece! We had a little trouble finding the orphanage (almost got lost... heh), but when we did, we knocked on the door and gave the lady the stuff. But that wasn't all we did!
After we left the orphanage, we went into the town... er, suburb... er, slums... anyway, we watched the little kids running around, bare-footed, dirty, but laughing and playing nonetheless. They happily (knowing no English whatsoever) showed us around their village and brought us to what amazed me the most. Their school. It was just a two room building (made out of wood or something) on stilts. We went inside and it was pretty dirty and not in so good condition. =\ I felt so bad for the little kids that were crowded around us and imagined what it was like... how would they live like this? And be happy?
But then, I realized, that they are really lucky. Probably even more so than myself. Sure, they may live in poverty, but they know what it is to TRULY be happy for just being who you are and to be alive. We take everything for granted where I live. Nice houses, not little shacks, nice schools with tons of rooms, not a two room thing on stilts.
We gave the kids something to especially be happy about. We gave them... CANDY! LoL. We had bags and bags of it and they kept on walking up to us asking for more and more and we gave them more and more. None of us knew much Spanish. I was actually one of the ones who knew the most, LoL, which wasn't saying much at the time (though I do know more now). All we could really do was hold up the bags and say "DULCE!" (sweets!/candy!) and they'd crowd around us, laughing and playing and grabbing each other's candy and running away with each other's candy. LoL, but it was fun!
With smiles on our faces, my friends and I headed back to Texas (after some shoppin', o' course! =) ) with a greater understanding of what it is to give and receive. The best thing you can receive is the wonderful feeling of knowing that you just made someone's life a whole bunch better. =)
(The next day, after spending the night in a nice hotel, we went shopping at a mall. I guess we still need to learn some things. =\ LoL.)
-googles
