Spreading Happiness in My Travels

if you have been reading my posts, maybe you have noticed that the heroes in my posts are not the places, but the people who are so lucky and deserving to be living in those islands that i spend so much time, effort, and money with, just to see and visit. the other people have not been highlighted yet in this blog site. :)

as i move forward, let me just share this thing that i did. but there are actually a lot of stories of this kind that i can write here. but it took a long time for me to decide to write about them. as i really do not want to write about the other things that i do, on the side. but now, my purpose is to influence and inspire.

this is the most recent, as it happened only last night.

i attended the event in my company to award the people who have loyally stayed with the company. we talked about life's journey, with 2 groups - it was a whole day celebrating life!

that evening, it was extra challenge for me to get a cab. so in my long black dress, with no image problem whatsoever, i walked with my slippers to take the bus, then the jeepney. i was seated near the jeepney's entrance. when suddenly, two young girls, appeared, gave envelopes. and sang. they were singing an OPM song, and i could tell by the looks in their faces, that it has been a long day. they were just standing there, and i feared that they might lose their grip of the bar and fall.

that was when i whispered, "sama kayo sa ken, kain tayo sa mcdo." coz i know that there is one nearby. they said "yehey!" then i remembered that there is a jollibee store accross that. so i said, "sa jollibee nalang." they yelled, "YEEEESSS!" napangiti ako sa tuwa nila. 

i didn't want to lose this chance to do an act of random kindness. it came so naturally. like an angel whispered at me and tickled my heart. and just uttered that t them. like it was not me talking. you know, i was suppose to write this last night and post photos but i myself was touched and i just froze when i saw their photos again. shiver.

here goes the conversaton when we entered the jollibee store.

"anong gusto ninyo?"

"kahit ano nalang ate."

"chickenjoy?"

"mahal ba?"

"ano nga gusto nyo?'

it felt like they were my barkada already.

they were humbly shy.

i told the guard, "sir, kasama ko sila."

"chicken nalang ha? e sino ba kasma nyo sa bahay?"

"ako Lola ko." "ako dalawang kapatid ko."

"gusto nyo ng chocolate float?"

"wag na ate. tubig nalang."

"o sige chocolate float." i closed.

So i ordered meals and also ordered some for their siblilngs and Lola.

while we waited for the food, i told them. "baka gusto ny maghugas ng kamay?" 

so the went.

they ate. but before they even got hold of their food, they prayed. "magdasal muna tayo." 

their stories took much more airtime than the time they would put the food into their mouths. i knew then that they like better talking to me, than eating. so i decided we have a photo op. 

i was floating somewhere, listening to their stories. not the "pityful stories". no, they did not tell me about those things. hindi sila nagpapaawa.

then i asked their names. Merry & Inday. Both 12 years old, Grade 4.

i did not ask them anything else. they just talked. and they were the ones interviewing me.

"ate, alam mo, dapat mag iingat ka. wag ka dadaan sa madidilim, kasi mag isa kalang."

then they asked, as they saw my ipad that i used to take out picture. "ate may facebook ka ba? i-add mo kami ha?" "kukunin namin yang pictures naten."

i was just listening to them all thru out.

i had a very beautiful view.

then i told them casually, "mag nail cutter naman kayo, mga girls pa naman kayong pretty!"

"e ate, wala kaming nailcutter." so i gave them what i have.

"o pose kayo sa nailcutter."

"thank you ate."

"o sino mauuna mamaya?"

what is so sweet is this conversation between them:

"hatid mo muna ako sa amin ha?"

"sige na  nga hahatid na muna kita, bago ako umuwi sa amin."

the "sa amin" Inday was referring to was a tri-bike. I don't know if I got that right.

As i said i did not want to ask anything. "ate sa tri-bike kami nakatira."

"ate, di na namin ito maubos. iuuwi nalang namin."

"may take out pa naman kayo, ubusin nyo na."

"okay lang ate, busog na kami e.  thank you."

"o umuwi na kayo ha? at magnailcutter."

"opo ate, thank you talaga."

 they went home with 50 pesos each. and a lot more of jollibee for Inday's Lola and Merry's mom & siblings.

"ate, yung facebook ha? i-add mo kami." were the last words i heard from them.

what i can say is that i was enriched a million times with humility, joy, and love.

these things, make me inlove everyday.

thank you for reading. and may you be inspired that spreading happiness can be random. just do it when you feel like doing it. you don't need to organize a big one. it just comes out naturally from that kind heart of yours! happy giving, everyone.

Enjoy Life!

Journeying Pinay