Prove Your Point

Through the miracle of technology, a considerable donation is headed toward little Michael Angelo and his family in the Phillipines, gathered from family and friends who otherwise would have spent the resources on probably unnecessary Christmas gifts... What probably would have bought relatively luxury items such as sweaters, jewelry, and electronics has instead been wired across the planet to literally feed and clothe a family that has nothing at all.

But more on that in a minute.

Last week on Thanksgiving Day, I was going on a much-needed run and was approached by a stray dog that I immediately recognized as being some sort of Pitbull mix. Our neighborhood is a virtual landmine of dogs for a jogger, and as I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck, I tightened my grip on my pepper spray. The dog seemed playful, but when he tried to jump on my back, I let loose with screaming and nearly used the spray. He ran off briefly, but by the time I'd finished my run, he was hanging around the house. He continued to stay around the house, making me uncomfortable and angry with his presence. I used to be a dog lover, but I wanted him gone.

A few days later on another run, he caught up with me again. He seemed a little aggressive, but on that day, I noticed he was looking pretty ribby and was scavenging trash cans. This dog was hungry and lost. Still annoyed with him, I continued to yell and try to shoo him away from me. Once back inside, I called animal control but only got a voicemail saying they'd open in a few days.

I kind of forgot about him, but today when I opened the garage door, there he was, right in front of the boys. I screamed loudly, waved him away and called animal control, who said they'd come pick him up. When we arrived home from preschool later in the day, I passed the animal control truck leaving the neighborhood and assumed they'd found the dog. But as I fixed the boys lunch I saw him saunter around the front lawn. Throwing the boy their lunch, I grabbed a fistful of dog treats and my cell and ran to the door. I was going to keep him on the porch until animal control came back.

As I reconfirmed my address over the phone, I really noticed for the first time how thin this dog had become. Every rib and point of his spine stuck out prominently. His stomach was completely caved in. His eyes were sunken in and dull. When he ate those first few treats, his tail wagged and he looked at me with hope. I considered what these last few days had probably been like for him and the uncertainty he was headed into within a matter of minutes.

I ran back and grabbed about ten more treats. And then back for a hotdog. And another hotdog. And then bowl after bowl after bowl of dogfood.

I have never seen a dog eat so fast in my life. It was frightening and heartbreaking. And probably also a little misleading to him about where this was all headed, as well as likely to give him a stomachache. But it was all I could think to do. I would have emptied out my fridge to feed that dog. And this is pretty much my MO when it comes to helping those in need, and possibly my tendancy toward co-dependancy. I just want to take the creature in, nourish them, fill them up, make them better. What do you need? I'll get it.

When I first saw Michael Angelo, my first instinct was to hop a plane and find a way to get him home where I could make sure nothing bad ever happened to him again. But then I looked at his picture again and saw two other brothers behind him, and I knew there were many more. What about them? What about their neighbors? Their neighbor's neighbors... it would never end. Finding a way to adopt him wasn't practical, and it wasn't the answer. So I've worked to find a way to help them in other ways. I don't know where our help will lead them or what Michael Angelo's future is, but I know that for a certain period of time, they will eat decently, drink clean water, and have items like new clothes and beds that they could only dream of before. And for now, that will have to do.

So as I watched that dog fill his belly as fast as he could, wagging his tail furiously and nearly gasping between bites, all I could think was Eat, poor creature, eat. Eat as fast as you can, take whatever you can fit in your belly. I can't fix the problem that got you into this mess in the first place, I can't take care of you once that truck shows up, and I can't promise you your life is going to get better with this. But for right now, I can feed you, so eat. For goodness' sake, eat.

I cannot fix the world's problems. I cannot take all of the hungry, hurt children into my home. And I've learned over time that I cannot bring all of the pain in this world into my heart, or it will shut down and break forever. But I can focus on this one boy, this one family. And I'll do it, for a multitude of reasons, beginning with His command to love one another, and not this world, for it it not our true home. But I'll also do it as my way of proving a point (however small) to the world that I will not be changed by it and its darkness.

If you also want to make your statement to the world in the Philippines, PCF (The Philippine Community Fund) could not have made it any easier, practical, or effective. Go to http://www.p-c-f.org/ and check out what they do. Online donations can be taken through the site, and if you want your contribution to go directly to a certain cause (such as Michael Angelo's family, or another family they choose for you), simply e-mail Ange ange@p-c-f.org to let her know.

I promise you'll make a difference.