Poor Unfortunate Souls

Life is unfair… there are people who enjoy all of the luxuries, and it is inevitable that there are also people who live in misery and chaos. Some would unashamedly flaunt their possessions or discard the things they thought they couldn’t use anymore (but the truth is that they could still use it, but they have to ditch it just because of some stupid reasons!). But sad to say, some would have to withstand the filthy smell of garbage just to earn money from it, or even find food in it!

Why is it that some of us have to suffer!? I extremely hate the thought of this… I feel sorry for these people: the street children, the homeless and down-trodden, and the ones who were left behind by their families. It’s maddening! I really wish that I could help them, if only I have the capacity to.

That is why whenever I see these kinds of people, I am grateful to Him because he gave me things which these persons cannot even attain.

What hit me the most was the CWTS activity… we visited a home for the aged (Gasa sa Gugma) in Mabolo. Actually, it was not my first time there. I was a member of the Campus Ministry in 2nd year. We, as a club, held a "pahalipay" activity for the senior citizens who were left alone by their relatives. It was hours before the Christmas party (2nd year) when we got there.
When I saw the faces of the unfortunate old people, I began to hate people who are so lucky, and that includes myself. I started to resent the families who left these people here. I couldn’t imagine that these people were abandoned by their loved ones. How could they do these to them? They had the nerve to desert their lolos or lolas here.

I couldn’t help but feel pity… pity for these sick and ill-fated, old people and pity for everyone of us! Good thing is that there are kind-hearted people who forsake their personal needs just to devote their times in taking good care of the aged. If not for them, these poor senior citizens would be left homeless and hungry, or even die on the streets. Thank God that there are merciful people who are left in this world.

Unfortunately, the activity wasn’t successful because there was a mass just in time when we got there. We would have loved to serve these people, even just once in a lifetime. We were supposed to make these people feel that they are important and loved by giving them snacks and perform presentations for them. Eventually, we just returned to the school and… nothing! What a waste… We should have stayed at least for a while to serve them.

You know what’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience? Contentment and charity. I hope that I will learn how to accept things as it has to be. I hope that I can help people in need. And I will never leave my loved ones, especially my parents, behind. I will make sure that when I graduate, I will give them a good life after what they have sacrificed for me. In that way, maybe I could thank them for taking care of me when I am still growing up.

My prayers are also for these people. Maybe life has its own way of things… we cannot fully comprehend why there are unfortunate people suffering a great deal of despair. Well, after all, there’s always hope. Just like in Southborder’s song, "there’s a rainbow always after the rain"!...