Good evening all. I hope your day has been filled with blessings. I have a story that I would like to share. At this time in 1980, just 5 years after the end of the Vietnam war, my family and I were living in a refugee camp on the island of Palawan in the Phillipines. I was very young at the time, but I still carry with me vivid memories of this place. Even then, I was aware of some of the tremendous circumstances that had brought us here; far from home. We had left with almost nothing, but the clothes on our backs. Food was rationed in the camp, and luxuries were nearly non-existent. I cannot imagine the fear and uncertainty of this experience for my mother and father; a young couple in their 20s with two children. My respect for their courage and love is magnified each time I revisit this memory. Although much of the situation was desperate, there were many happy times on Palawan for me, as a child oblivious to world politics and the reality of our circumstances. This one always puts things into perspective for me: My father, always being a resourceful man, had found some work within the camp and was able to earn a little bit of money. With that, he was able to bring home a bag of sandwich bread, a small container of sweet butter, and bottle of Pepsi. I remember the excitement and joy, as my family sat together and enjoyed the sweet treats, as if we were the equal to the richest people on Earth. There are not enough words to describe how incredibly delicious these simple items were. That, my friends, is the best meal Ive ever had, because its the only one I can still recall with such happiness and clear detail so many years later. I am grateful for the all the good fortune that we have been blessed with since that time, but this memory serves as a reminder to me how incredibly lucky I have been in this life.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 23:46:26 +0000
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