An Act of Generosity

I was riding on a train with Celia Martinez yesterday.  We just came from a radio guesting on DZME in Monumento and were on the train bound for Baclaran,  We were to get off at the Doroteo Jose station.

At R. Papa station, a mother and her baby came aboard.  The mother was having a hard time carrying the baby. The child was so thin that you could see from the legs it was almost reduced to skin and bones.  Its legs were stiff, probably from disuse.  We guessed it was more than a year old, probably close to two, because of its height or rather length.

But what really caught our attention was its head.  It seemed that it was longer than the child's torso.  The mother was supporting the head instead of the neck and we were worrying about its neck breaking.

The mother was having a hard time because apart from the fact that she had to carry the child with his big head and their bag, the baby was complaining too.  Apparently, he did not want his mother to sit down.  For him, mommy had to rock him while standing in the train.  Trouble really was, to stand up and hold him, she needed both hands so there was none left to hold on to the rail.

Anyway, that's not the point.  My friend Celia was so moved by this scene that she decided on the spot to hand her some money to help defray doctor's fees for the child.

That is generosity,   She lives on a fixed daily budget and any unspent amount, she returns to the family fund.  Yesterday, she gave half her daily spending budget to that mother and child.

I salute you, Celia Martinez

Sundays are for Kids

I attended the weekly Feast at the Bureau of Soilsthis morning.  We have a dance ministry there.  It's composed of kids who just enjoy what they are doing.  They're kinda contagious but I think the parents get quite distracted from the worship session.

Anyway, I usually sit in the front rows so I can't see what's going on further back.  Today, i was late for the mass so I got an aisle seat way back.  That meant I only got to watch the kids in the middle of the group.

That also meant I got to see another little dancer.  There was a boy, about two years old, who refused to stay in his seat.  He had decided that he would roam up and down the aisle keeping his mother in sight.

He was going up the aisle when the dance ministry began their routine.  He stopped and watched for a while.  Next thing I knew, he was doing his own moves.

Kids are usually tireless dancers.  I guess it's inate in all of us.  They celebrate with movement.  That's one thing I hope we remember to keep as we get older.