looking at Mia, i feel like i want to tell her how much she is blessed to have a home, a family (albeit missing one parent but who cares, she’s got the best nona and nono, and titos anyway), and food to eat anytime she wants. if only she could understand now. how much i would stress that to her.

for now, i’d like to let everyone know there are so much that we can do to help children who have no such privelege. they may have families but they get abused, or food but those come from hard-earned streets money which they shouldn’t even be doing, or clothing but tattered and barely hangs on to their bodies.

when we had an outreach in partnership with the Virlanie Foundation last Saturday, i fought the urge to cry. i have Mia and this was not the kind of life that you’d want for your kid, or any child for that matter. it was unfair to be born into street life, with nothing to look forward to but where the next meal will come from, or if daddy won’t come home drunk to beat me up again. too cruel.

you may think that i’m overreacting. i say, the next time you decide to do an outreach, go to the streets. special homes won’t let you see the harsh realities of poverty. it just won’t. i was talking to one mother who was very proud of her eldest son who now works at a local fastfood chain. he sort of brings home the bacon now, since the father isn’t much help because of the chronic drinking.

the conversation would’ve been Oprah-worthy if not for the punchline. she told me too that she had hit “jackpot” (that was her term for it) by getting pregnant thrice by a foreigner. that’s not the bitter part. she was so looking forward to raising one of her daughters into a teen so she can bring the family to a better place. if you can read between the lines, i don’t have to tell you that it’s through the flesh trade.

i wanted to ask her where she lives and take the kids myself. that’s just one reality. i’d hate to find out what the others are.

if you have the heart for children, please do share your blessings. the Virlanie Foundation needs so much of it, aside from monetary, there are needs too like personal hygiene and school supplies. vitamins and first aid kits for wound dressing and the like. (believe me, you wouldn’t want to see the worst case of it).

help bring back the smiles into these faces. you can learn about and get in touch with the Virlanie Foundation through www.virlanie.org.

like i said, your blessings are worth nothing unless they’re shared.