A Smile to Remember

A picture worth a thousand words. (If only I knew a thousand to describe it.) She is standing with her arm stretched out towards you with the biggest smile you have ever seen on a child. Between her little fingers is a bubble wand.  At then end of the wand, there is a bubble that had been caught after she had blown and chased so many.

She had ran around trying to catch the bubbles after she created a bundle of them. Watching as the bubbles continued to fly all around her and the other children, she tried desperately to catch one. They continued to pop when touching down on the ground, a person, or even her little bubble wand she held in her hand. Other bubbles disappeared into the sky never to be thought of again. Continuing to blow more bubbles, she kept chasing them as though she would not be able to blow any more that she could capture. Surrounded by the other children blowing bubbles, she finally catches one on the end of the wand. Her face instantly lite up with the biggest smile we had seen on a child’s face. She was overcome with joy as after trying so hard to catch a bubble, she had finally succeeded. Holding the bubble out in front of herself, she smiled from ear to ear in anticipation for her picture to be taken.

Back home in the states, I don’t see children get as excited about bubbles or pictures as those children back in the Philippines. They do not have the luxury of enjoying the same things that we do. For them a picture is worth a thousand words. They cherish the moments when they get a chance to see themselves in still motion. Children back in the states also seem to get tired of blowing bubbles pretty fast. These children could go on for hours blowing bubbles bigger and bigger and watching them ascend higher and higher. I was able to see the simple joys in life that I so often miss when I am back home. These children showed me how to be content with the things that I have in my life and to enjoy the little things that may come my way. Thank you children of Rehoboth for reminding me of this and for all the memories. You are missed and loved.

"Captured"