Just last week, I (again) saw this kid at Megamall selling scented flowers (it’s not sampaguita eh). He must be 5 or 6 years old, but his body was just like Lexie’s, that of a three-year-old. He and his older sister were eating burgers a stranger probably gave them. As I watched the boy, I couldn’t help but picture my little Lexie – barefoot, with ragged clothes, hungry, dirty, begging or selling sampaguita. I almost cried. I can’t bear the thought of seeing my son go hungry. Man, I would probably sell anything, including myself, just to spare him from that kind of life.

Eversince I became a mother, my (already soft) heart started bleeding for these poor kids. But then again, as they say, “how can you give to charity if you’re a charity case yourself?” Yes, I donated (little) to UNICEF and other charities, but is that all I can do? Pray, give a few hundred pesos?

I remember what a fellow UPSCAn, Kuya Edong, said in his blog: to help more, thus be more.

I really really want those kids out of the streets. They should be at home, or at school. They can work for legitimate summer jobs (like the usual pandesal-boys), not as pemanent slaves of syndicates and (evil) irresponsible parents. But I can’t just wish, or blabber about it. I have to be more to give more. Now, on how I’ll do that, is another story…

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I remember watching on TV a special on doctors leaving for other countries as nurses, and how this is affecting our country’s health care system. One remote community in that special showed that it only has one doctor, and that doctor is leaving for the US. She was really heartbroken, since she has always wanted to serve, but she also has a family to feed, so she made that sacrifice.

Doctors becoming nurses. Sad. Not that nursing is a lowly profession, but we need those doctors, especially those who have passed all those qualifying exams. Imagine if all that is left here are professionals who flunked all the qualifying exams for going abroad (the reason why they’re still here). Kawawa naman tayo.

Eversince I was a child, I have always wanted to become a doctor. At first, because they said doctors made lots of money (hehe). But later on, I wanted to serve. And now, as an adult, I still want to pursue that dream. To be a doctor for the barrios.

Again – HOW? That is, yes you guessed it, another story. 🙂

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This post is inspired by Teacher Julie’s Weekly Question (WQ). Try it, it’s fun!