Christmas on the Streets

Have you ever wondered what it's like to wear tattered clothings, go barefoot, sleep on the pavement and have nothing to eat? Ever wonder how the homeless celebrate Christmas?

With God's amazing grace, many of us never experienced homelessness and the accompanying dificulties, as well as indignities, that goes with it. For those street residents, Christmas is probably the most unhappy time. What irony, indeed, that the most wonderful time of the year is also the most depressing for these people. Yet, even if they may not know it, nor care even if they knew, they are very close to feeling what Joseph and Mary must have felt, that first Christmas, when there is no room for them at any Inn.

I know of many people who will go on a "charity frenzy" on Christmas Day. As a matter of fact, this early, I got a friend who is rounding up help for her own version of "Christmas Kitchen," as she calls it. What exactly is it? Well, it feeds the destitute, who are homeless, in their Barangay with three full meals on Christmas Day. So, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, my friend and her volunteers feed the homeless destitutes in their place.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against my friend's Christmas Kitchen because it provides food for the homeless on a very special day of the year. It will, most probably, give those homeless people their best meal of the year, which is just great because Christmas should be a time when everyone must do what it takes to ensure that nobody, particularly the homeless, goes to bed hungry.

But Christmas is only one day in the three hundred sixty five day year. What about the remaining three hundred sixty four days? What will happen to them, street residents? What will they eat? Do they have to wait for another Christmas just to have a decent meal? Who will help them with the basics in life such as food, clothing and shelter, for the rest of the year? Gee, a dilemma, indeed...

Makes me wish am a genie with magical powers or the "president" of all the governments of the world. Maybe the heiresses among us, with modeling and movie contracts and siblings, who design high couture ensemble, can lend a hand. Maybe those who give BIG, a whooping million dollar, no less, can lend a hand too. Maybe those who live in towers named after them can help too. Maybe I am hopelessly optimistic. Still, there is that part of me which believes, miracles could happen on Christmas...