A Story to Remember

In speech class last week, we had to give speeches about ourselves. In those speeches, we all had to include  a story that changed my life forever.

Being a person who doesn't usually have much to say when it comes to this kind of stuff, I knew exactly what I would talk about when I heard the prompt.

Not only did this story change my classmates after I told it, but ever since it came up in my head last week, I can't really get my mind off of it.

The Story:

The Dominican Republic Trip, Christmas break of 2009, 'til new years, 2010. 

First of all, I'll explain why we were here in the first place: 

We went to the Dominican Republic for my brother's baseball team. He was chosen to travel with other selected boys his age to the Dominican Republic to play against the Dominican baseball players. (those kids are really truly amazing players. They give their life to baseball.) 

Anyways, the story happened at the baseball fields. The complex was very very nice, and very well-taken care of. It was fenced off, and outside it lay a poor city, just a few miles away. Just outside of the fence on one side of the complex, was a street with mud houses/convenient stores. On that side of the fence stood about 20 kids, ages ranging from (I'm guessing) 8-17.  Many of which had torn up, or hole-y shirts, dirty clothes, no shoes, or shoes with holes in them. Not to mention, it was really hot outside, and they were standing on dirt, so their feet were probably aching.

We knew that we were supposed to bring old t-shirts and baseballs to throw over the fence to the kids, so we brought some to the fields. 

As I threw a few baseballs over the fence, I realized a small child, probably about 8 years old, watching everyone else get  baseballs or shirts, while he hadn't gotten anything yet. He didn't ask for anything, like the others, and instead, he just stood there, waiting patiently. I went up to him, and help up an old t-shirt, and motioned and also asked him if he'd like it. He shook his head yes, so I shoved it through one of the holes in the fence. (it was a wire fence). I forgot to mention that he did not have a shirt on before I gave him the shirt, but right we he got it, he put it on immediately, looked up at me, and smiled the cutest smile I have ever seen in my life. His teary eyes stared into mine, and in that moment I knew I had done something that would change my life forever. The boy said thank you, and was ever so grateful. 

This made me learn that I should really stop taking things for granted. I expect things, like to wake up in the morning with a bed, with a heated/air conditioned house and running water, and with a school to go to in the morning. Many of these kids don't have the simple pleasures that I do. I hope that one day I can go back there and change their lives in a bigger-impact way.