A New Chance At Life

April 29 2023

Joy. Pure Joy. What a different world it is that children dwell in. 

 

“Mommy Mommy!” A child shouting, as he rode past me on his little scooter in his mother’s direction. I don’t know why, but for a moment I wished he was calling out to me. I had gotten a warm tingling in my heart imagining what it’d be like to feel needed and wanted by a child; to be a mother. I now wondered if one day I’d be blessed enough to care for my own little baby. A baby that would be a light in this malicious place we call Earth. Sadly, this thing we call Earth, is where children grow up and learn how to destroy each other, how to judge, how to cheat others. 

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I wanted to wrap this little boy up in my arms and let him know how proud I am of him. I wanted to nurture the innocence he imbued and I wanted to protect it at all costs. The honest gaze on his face was all I needed as a remembrance that purity and virtue exist and can be upheld in this malevolent world. 

 

As we get older, our levels of tolerance and patience begin to dissipate. How unfortunate it is that these things drive us away from the only thing that’s worth experiencing in this world: joyous bliss. We turn children away from us, shoo them away while we disconnect with the real world and oppositely connect with the virtual. Why watch a funny video of a child when you have yours in front of you that’s been waiting all day for Mommy to get home and talk about his day and how he played with his toys? Think about how children act out and why. Children are aware of their surroundings. We might think they are oblivious, but in turn they are very sensible to life and the way adults speak to them. The downfall of these recent generations and the generations to come is our own doing. We need to preserve them.

 

 

July 25, 2023

 

This child Hadi clung to my arms. He felt my warmth. He felt the touch of my feminine energy, the capability for me to nurture. I had wished that I could be with him all the days of the week and help him build his Legos and simply talk to him. 

 

Reem. A little “tabooshi” as we like to say in Arabic, meaning “chubby cutie”, was one that wanted all my attention to herself. 

 

My little helper Rima needed a big sister and I was ready to be just that for her. Rima was something else. She wouldn’t eat or talk to me until I sipped some of the Pepsi she poured for me to have. She wanted to make sure I was eating with her so that I was well sustained in my time spent with them.

 

The sisters Nariman and Maram. They were absolutely the politest out of the bunch. You could just tell that they were wiser beyond their years. Nariman's devotion and ambition for wanting to become a cardiothoracic surgeon one day was altogether reassuring and inspiring. 

 

Adham, Ali, and Yehyia quickly came to greet me. They were so mesmerized about learning about my travels around the world and patiently asked questions and sat and listened.

 

As I left, they were all overjoyed when I shared with them that the next time I came, we’d color together, paint nails, and play soccer. 

 

There were many of them. These children are a blessing. I could not have found a better way to occupy my time here in Lebanon than with these orphans. I had had this idea of spending time with them in my head for a long time now, and my heart knew that I’d execute this when I came. I knew that beyond the partying and going out in Beirut, I wanted to see these children as often as I could. 

These children need proper cultivation and care taking -individual time spent with each. Children need elders in their lives in order to be taught right from wrong. They need guidance on how to manage life and control their emotions. It breaks my heart that there are kids like this who are not orphans, yet still endure the same misfortune within their own households. It is important to have an understanding that some children never get the chance, they don’t have the resources, they don’t have the amenities an average child has. So please, hug your babies and siblings. Share ideas with them and teach them anything you can from your rolodex of wisdom. 

 

Chivalry is dead as no one sits down with their sons and teaches them the ways of tradition anymore. Coincidingly, the feminine quality that these girls should emulate has been dissolving in these newer generations as parents don’t sit and lecture them. I will tell you that monetary based work is not the only important thing you have to perform in astoundingly, please understand that. Work comes in many forms, one of them being raising children. It is hard work, beyond just feeding and clothing them. Quality items take time to construct. We need substance in the numbers. Help nourish and build these souls. Don’t create souls and dispose of them, rather cultivate their minds and their hearts. Let’s add value back to society as a collective. 

 

I would kill to be a big sister to these children, or even one day taking one home with me as my own. Spending time at Beit El Yateem has been a beautiful, chaotic, and unforgettable experience. I encourage each of you to find some time in your life, and go back to the simple things. Even if it’s a few hours a month, connect back with your inner child, with your innocence. Repair your heart by helping other hearts. You might even just learn something from them as well…

 

 

XOXO,

Yasmeena