Did you know there are people in the world who have never eaten in a restaurant? Did you know there are children in the world who have never had new clothes? Women who have never worn make-up because they couldn’t afford it? Men who have never bought a new car?
Ok, so we think economic status, right? The have and the have nots. It’s the way things are. We feel a little lucky that we have what we have, we throw a few dollars into a bucket next to a cash register and think we are doing what we can. But take a look beyond the physical for a moment.
Did you know there are people in the world who have never had anyone validate their opinions? No one to say, “You have a good point!” Did you know that there are children in the world who have never heard, “I love you, honey.”? Not because they don’t have parents but because they don’t have parents who have ever known that you need to be nurtured. Did you know that there are women in the world who don’t think they are pretty? Who have never heard, “You look nice today.” There are workers who have never heard, “Good job!”. There are children who have never heard, “You are really smart!”
But they dream. The same as anyone, they dream. They want someone to notice that they matter to the world. The cashier at Walmart? She may be tired and a bit cranky because she was up all night with a sick child and worrying about paying the electric bill. The man who cut you off in traffic? He may have a sick wife and no health insurance. The bully at school who picks on your little darling? He may know he is going home to no food and going home to no one who pays attention to him.
These are not excuses for bad behavior. Everyone in life has to learn how to behave safely and appropriately in society. However, in a world where money matters, social status matters, and being ‘someone’ matters, people lose hope. They lose hope that they will ever make a difference in the world. They lose hope that things will get better, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They lose hope, sadly, in themselves. And the truth of the matter is, does anyone notice?
Life is busy. Family, work, bills, vacations. There doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day for ourselves, much less someone we don’t know. But there are people out there who have never had a friend. People who have never heard, “You are important to me.” People who have lost hope and children who have never had hope. What are you going to do about that?
What can you do? Why do you have to worry about that? Is it any of your business? These are our children, our neighbors, and our world. You can do something and it is your business. Be a friend, offer a hand, share a smile. Give encouragement, lend an ear, point someone in the right direction. Be tolerant, be gentle, be kind. This has nothing to do with money or being ‘generous’. This has everything to do with sharing hope.