Me handing out candy to the boys.
Me posing with the boys and their candy.
Boys gather around for more candy.
"Omphh!" I exclaimed as an animated little boy around the age of 7 came barreling into me. His excitement was palpable and his grip on my shirt emphasized his enthusiasm.
"Hi Ate! Visitor ka ba ngayon?" (Hi! Are you a visitor today?)
“Hi! Yes, visitor ako ngayon.” I replied with a smile. (Hi! Yes, I’m a visitor today)
“Yehey!” The little boy yelled and before I could ask him what his name was, he ran away into a little house nearby.
This gave my friend Reggie and me an opportunity to observe our surroundings.
The first thing I noticed was how bright and lively the location was. There were trees and grass everywhere giving the place a very peaceful and homey feel. The sun was also shinning brightly and it established the feeling of being at home.
There was also a playground nearby that gave a burst of color to the otherwise earthy feel of our surroundings and it added a touch of youthfulness to the atmosphere.
Lost in awe of my surroundings, I failed to notice the large gang of rowdy boys that were running my way. The boys immediately circled Reggie and me and we were slightly overwhelmed by the amount of little boys that were surrounding us.
One of the caretakers of the orphanage came running after them and told them to give us some space but that didn’t deter the boys from voicing their curiosity.
“What’s your name?”
“Ilang taon kayo?” (How old are you?)
“Ano yung nasa loob ng plastic?” (What’s inside the plastic?)
That last question caught my attention. The boys were very observant.
Reggie was carrying a yellow plastic bag that carried little bags of chocolate that we were planning to give to the boys.
“Regalo ba yan?” One little boy asked. (Are those presents?)
Reggie and I looked at each other and simultaneously nodded our heads.
“Nagdala kami ng chocolates.” I told them. (We brought chocolates)
Next thing we knew, it was pandemonium.
Little hands everywhere were grabbing for the bag and Reggie and I were shocked at how excited they were about something that we often take for granted.
It was heartening to see how something as simple as chocolate could bring the boys such sheer happiness.
One by one, I handed each boy a bag of chocolate and after they received their bag, they either stuck around to observe the chaos or ran off to tell the other boys of our presents.
Once the chaos calmed down and everyone got their chocolate, the little boys sat quietly enjoying their treats.
Sitting down next to the boys, I thought about what I had seen and their reactions towards such a simple gift.
The chocolates were left overs from my family’s Halloween candy stash last October and for months were just sitting around in the house because no one wanted them.
It reminded me of how blessed I am and how I often take little things such as chocolate for granted because it’s readily available to me even though in reality, it’s not the same for everyone else.
Instead of dwelling on an issue that was evidently out of my reach, I instead focused my attention on the boys who were still happily munching on their snacks and were telling me about their Christmas day.
Once they were done, one little boy grabbed my hand and exclaimed, “Ate, maglaro na tayo!” (Let’s go play!)
Although I knew that I couldn’t solve a major world issue such as poverty and greatly improve the lives of these boys, I knew that it was the simple pleasures that mattered to them.
With that thought, I followed the little boys into the playground with the full intention of bringing even the slightest bit of happiness into their lives by providing them with my time and company.
It was the little things that mattered the most.
To be continued…
"Hi Ate! Visitor ka ba ngayon?" (Hi! Are you a visitor today?)
“Hi! Yes, visitor ako ngayon.” I replied with a smile. (Hi! Yes, I’m a visitor today)
“Yehey!” The little boy yelled and before I could ask him what his name was, he ran away into a little house nearby.
This gave my friend Reggie and me an opportunity to observe our surroundings.
The first thing I noticed was how bright and lively the location was. There were trees and grass everywhere giving the place a very peaceful and homey feel. The sun was also shinning brightly and it established the feeling of being at home.
There was also a playground nearby that gave a burst of color to the otherwise earthy feel of our surroundings and it added a touch of youthfulness to the atmosphere.
Lost in awe of my surroundings, I failed to notice the large gang of rowdy boys that were running my way. The boys immediately circled Reggie and me and we were slightly overwhelmed by the amount of little boys that were surrounding us.
One of the caretakers of the orphanage came running after them and told them to give us some space but that didn’t deter the boys from voicing their curiosity.
“What’s your name?”
“Ilang taon kayo?” (How old are you?)
“Ano yung nasa loob ng plastic?” (What’s inside the plastic?)
That last question caught my attention. The boys were very observant.
Reggie was carrying a yellow plastic bag that carried little bags of chocolate that we were planning to give to the boys.
“Regalo ba yan?” One little boy asked. (Are those presents?)
Reggie and I looked at each other and simultaneously nodded our heads.
“Nagdala kami ng chocolates.” I told them. (We brought chocolates)
Next thing we knew, it was pandemonium.
Little hands everywhere were grabbing for the bag and Reggie and I were shocked at how excited they were about something that we often take for granted.
It was heartening to see how something as simple as chocolate could bring the boys such sheer happiness.
One by one, I handed each boy a bag of chocolate and after they received their bag, they either stuck around to observe the chaos or ran off to tell the other boys of our presents.
Once the chaos calmed down and everyone got their chocolate, the little boys sat quietly enjoying their treats.
Sitting down next to the boys, I thought about what I had seen and their reactions towards such a simple gift.
The chocolates were left overs from my family’s Halloween candy stash last October and for months were just sitting around in the house because no one wanted them.
It reminded me of how blessed I am and how I often take little things such as chocolate for granted because it’s readily available to me even though in reality, it’s not the same for everyone else.
Instead of dwelling on an issue that was evidently out of my reach, I instead focused my attention on the boys who were still happily munching on their snacks and were telling me about their Christmas day.
Once they were done, one little boy grabbed my hand and exclaimed, “Ate, maglaro na tayo!” (Let’s go play!)
Although I knew that I couldn’t solve a major world issue such as poverty and greatly improve the lives of these boys, I knew that it was the simple pleasures that mattered to them.
With that thought, I followed the little boys into the playground with the full intention of bringing even the slightest bit of happiness into their lives by providing them with my time and company.
It was the little things that mattered the most.
To be continued…
Me posing once again with the boys.
My friend Reggie with the boys.
Selfie with the boys.
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