Next Best Thing

My husband was thinking of sending some shoes to some kids in our town. Unfortunately, it’s gonna cost us a few hundred bucks since there’s not much kiddy shoes at the Thrift Stores. Some ranges from $15-25 for a second hand shoes. We decided to just forget about it. Then, I told him maybe we can buy flip flops instead. Last Sunday, I just finished wrapping the box full of slippers, hahaha! I’m pretty sure a lot of kids will be happy to get those.

We are not rich in our town but it has been a tradition every Christmas that people from the highlands would come down and ask for some second hand shoes and dresses. It started with just one family who came asking for a second hand dress. I remembered how happy her daughter was. She kept saying “thanks” coz she really wanted to attend church every Sunday but too embarrassed with her one and only Sunday dress. It was so touching to realize how one dress can make someone so delighted.

On my first few weeks here in the US, I always felt so sad throwing all the left-over. I put them all in the refrigerator but ended up throwing after few days. If only I could send it all back to our town. My husband used to tease me about cooking Filipino foods and stocking in the refrigerator as my whole week meal. Or the way I serve him the rice, he always wanted the fresh rice and I used to serve him the left-over. He just laughs every time I talk about “there are a lot of people out there that are starving”.

I just don’t know where to draw the line of understanding how they get into that situation- if it’s their choice or simply laziness. The scenario is everywhere though not only in the Philippines. Sometimes, I see a whole family down at the street (near the market). There may not be a lot of them but I just wondered how it happened when I see a lot of signs “We’re Hiring”. I mean, it’s the exact opposite in the Philippines where it says “NO Vacancy”. Oh well, I guess- I just have to count my blessings, work harder and share.

Immanuel Hermann said: "If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us at least live so as to deserve it."