Facade of Smiles...

In my last article I said, "Life is what we make it..." not imagining that there are others out there not strong enough to chart the course of their own destiny. The children of the marginalized sectors of our society are shocking resemblance of that reality. What's more shocking is the grueling realty of oppression not coming from the people who are better off than them but from people coming from the same stature in society. Seeing that cycle makes me want to question how come they can do such a thing.

I just turned one month this week into this new assignment and have realized how lucky I am indeed. Every time I see those smiling little faces, those forgotten children, those little angels, made me realized how ugly life was for them before the center. As I watched them play around the open ground areas, I can't help but see the faces of children robbed of their innocence and hiding their pain. They are better now.

Like that child on my first day at the center who approached me, embraced me and hugged me. I never realized that the embrace meant so much as a "please love me and hug me back and take me in". I almost cried as I lifted him up, carried him inside the office and let him sit on my lap. We talked the entire afternoon. And for the longest time in months, I suddenly found someone of more or less the same situation as I am. Who was rejected by peers have found acceptance from a small child. His case? He was almost hacked to death by his stepfather and that the task force had to rescue him and put him from harms way. His wounds have healed but the scars remains.

You can see in the eyes of some of these children how deep their hurts and how much of it is still full of defiance and revenge. I can not show these children pity, that would be wrong in so many way. These children do not need our pity, they need our love, care and attention...