Melinda J. Irvine

I give thanks today for the hands that held me when I was very small. For the hands who blessed and guided me, who brought me here with love.

#lovethepeopleyoumeet

The past year and a half has been tough. I really have struggled. I wanted to begin a new section of my website (to honour my original intention) that #lovethepoeopleyoumeet would reflect inspiring stories of love and kindness.

Today is about the most important thing I have learned since coming to the Philippines: there is no point in travelling to another country to help people if you are not willing to help your own family and your own friends. You aren’t helping anyone if you are neglecting those who are right in front of you.

… poverty comes right there in our own home, even neglect to love. Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried, and these are difficult days for everybody. Are we there? Are we there to receive them?

Mother Teresa (Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 1979)

I think Mother Teresa said this really well in her Nobel Peace Prize Lecture back in 1979. Even now as I am sitting here using the WIFI at the resort, there is a little 8 year old boy who calls me Tita Mel, who thinks of me as his mother, who said to me in his newly learned English just before I left to come here and share these stories with you …

“Tita Mel, my favourite is you, no working.”

Jerry.