In our country, we have had our share of mudslides, earthquakes and typhoons, most notable of all, super typhoon Milenyo that left millions all around the country homeless, and parts of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong in darkness for nearly two weeks. Some provinces still don’t have electricity up until now. Let’s not forget the endless poverty that seems to have no solution in sight for decades to come. And it just gets worse. There is too much mercury in our fish, the possibility of mad cow in our beef, and for the chicken curse, there is the lingering threat of global avian flu.
Did I mention the war in Iraq? Iraq is looking more and more like it may go down as one of the worst military blunders in history, even worse than the Vietnam war. But we are not Americans, and we should not be affected by this war. But as someone once said, when the US sneezes, the whole world catches a cold.
You would think all this apocalyptic imagery would devastate the spirit of mortals like us. For one thing, human beings seem to be imbued with so great resiliency that makes them flexible in times of diversity. So in spite of all the recent global disasters, there seem to be a lot of rainbows shining behind the dark clouds. The rainbows are in the form of unselfish human beings who make it their life’s mission to help in whatever way they can.
In the US, we have mega billioners like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, among others who make it their mission to help the oppressed. In the Philippines, we have many foundations and social workers whose time and energy revolve around helping the poor.
One such person is Dylan Wilk, a wealthy Englishman who gave up the swinging life in London to join Gawad Kalinga, an organization whose main scope of interest is to provide housing and livelihood for our country’s poorest. Dylan joined the organization, which was founded by Tony Meloto, (one of this year’s TOFIL awardees for humanitarian services), after just one trip to the Philippines in 2001. During that visit, Dylan went to Payatas, and the poverty that he saw gnawed at his heart. When he went back to London, he knew that he would not be able to drive his sports cars without feeling guilty. He realized that his life’s calling was to be a social worker in the Philippines. He bid his swinging life in London goodbye, and decided to settle here. He also sold his sports cars and donated the proceeds to GK.
When I think of Dylan Wilk and Tony Meloto, I know that there is hope for our country. With their untiring efforts to uplift the plight of our country’s poor, how can our country not progress? It is people like them, and I know there are lots of them, who will take our country out of the poverty that seems to have no remedy in sight.
I remember an experience I had in New York in 1997. It was a month before Thanksgiving and a friend of mine asked me to help her get donations for City Meals on Wheels. City Meals on Wheels feeds the elderly and the sick during the Thanksgiving weekend, which runs for four days – Thursday till Sunday. During these days, the city’s social workers are on leave and nobody is around to bring hot meals to the elderly and the infirm. This organization makes sure that there are enough hot meals for the four days that everyone is on holiday and there are volunteers to feed them. Surely, she hit a spot in my heart and right away I called up friends who could donate to such a worthy cause. Because I raised quite a substantial amount, I was invited to a lunch sponsored by some wealthy people to honor the donors. For added attraction, they invited celebrities to grace the affair. I was put in the table where Katherine Turner was. I would have preferred to have been seated next to Andy Garcia, but it was not meant to be.
As I reflect upon the word Thanksgiving, in spite of all the global disasters that make me feel the wrath of God, there is really so much to be thankful for. I thank God for the generosity of the human spirit, which turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. There is not one single person who will not shell out for the sick, the orphans, the abused children, the elderly, the poor. In whatever country, the language of love is universal.
I had a friend visiting me from China and she heard that my driver’s father had a stroke. Without my knowing it, she gave my driver a hundred dollars for his father.
Another friend had a major crisis because she got very sick. All her friends rallied around her and raised a substantial amount to pay for her hospitalization.
During Christmas time, at around this time, I call friends to donate food (canned goods, milk, noodles, rice, soap and cleansing detergents like Lysol) to the Mother Teresa Orphanage in Tondo. Nobody ever denies my request.
I have so many touching stories that prove that the human heart is not just a vessel that pumps blood and oxygen to different parts of our body. It is a vessel that gives and receives love. It is a human heart that feels the needs of other human beings. With the Lord’s abundant blessings, we have so much to be thankful for.