Count Your Blessings

There is always someone who is worse off than you.....
I have been haunted this week by a nameless, faceless man who spent his final days lying handcuffed to a rusty, metal hospital bed in Haiti as thousands of flies swarmed his emaciated body severely beaten for attempted armed robbery. Upon arrival to the hospital, doctors were ordered by local authorities not to help this man who committed a crime out of desperation and mostly, starvation. Strangers stood outside, taking photos and laughing as this man lie in his bed for 7 days, with only his own urine to drink. No food....no water, our basic human needs. It was impossible to avoid the stench that filled the 20 bed hospital room. This Haitian man will be etched in my mind forever. As tears filled my eyes, I couldn't help but wonder what his life story was, what was his childhood like, and most of all, what was he feeling/thinking at that moment in time when he left this world. I don't know if I will ever grasp and understand the differences in cultures. For some reason, I felt compelled to share this memory, normally I would tuck it away with many others lives path's I have crossed with untold stories...but I couldn't help but hurt for this man and think, this could have been one of our Life's Path children one day...desperate, starving, and no way out. It makes me feel like we are in the right place, definitely doing the right thing.
Yes, this man committed a crime and this man could have hurt innocent people...left to suffer and die inhumanely - in the U.S. we don't even do this to our beloved pets. I cannot even find words to describe how I feel...but one thing is certain, this experience has reiterated that we must remain the voice for the children of Haiti, we must continue to give hope when some days there is none...