The Girl in the Street of Manila

I remember a moment three years ago in an unpleasant sidewalk somewhere in Manila. I was waiting for the public transit when a little girl came to me quietly. On the way she dressed, I assumed the that she was a street beggar. It was around midnight. I was sweating with the temperature ranged from eighty to ninety degrees. My throat was aching as the polluted air - formed by the smoke coming from automobiles and factories - hits the back of my throat. In my thoughts I wondered how can she, at that young age, survive in an environment like this.

"How can I help you, young lady?" I asked nicely.

She did not respond to my question. However, I could see by looking directly at her eyes the big wall of sadness that blocks her to this world. At that time, I only had my bottled water with me, and the exact amount of money for my way home. I gave her my water anyway. Then she smiled at me and left with still that smile tinted in her face.

I believe in the power of kindness. Since that unexpected meeting with the young girl in Manila, I was convinced that every act of kindness, even little, can make people better. It is powerful for it can help people who have fallen down to stand on their feet again.

There was a time in church, after the main service, when I saw an aged woman looking like her subconscious was hovering somewhere else. I opened up a conversation with her, thinking that I might make her day brighter. After we shared things about us, I learned that she was sick and just got hospitalized for a week. I decided to tell her jokes. I even told her how strong my grandmother is at the age of eighty-five, though ironically has weakness - her children, including my dad. Finally, I made her laugh.

Kindness can I apply to anybody. Many of us are not born perfect physically and mentally. Some of us are deaf, blind, mentally ill, or just plain weird. But I believe that using kindness as tool, we can connect to each other. It is as Mr. Twain said, "Kindness is a language deaf can hear and blind can see." With this connection, we can have a better understanding on how other people think and feel. And with this idea, simply by kindness, we can make the world a better place.

I came from a small village in Northern Philippines. The place there was nice and peaceful. But what makes it more special is the bond that connects the villagers together. Being kind to others was always present to everyone that keeps our community stronger. This was the type of environment that made me who I am, that taught me how kindness works.

Imagine the world filled with pure kindness. That was exactly the opposite of the world we're living right now - violence, poverty, and immigration issues. To aid these problems, we need kindness. This I believe.