#marcellinhomes

[whotfisleigh]

A Second Chance at Life

What happens to the lives of these children before they are taken to the Marcellin Homes? Who knows. Each and every one of them hides different stories behind their smiles and painful stares. Their perspectives on life are very different from ours. Upon seeing those kids and being able to interact with them, I have come to the realization that the way they spoke reflects a huge factor of where they come from, what their whereabouts are, and how the institution helped shape their minds. Even in the midst of hopelessness, a ray of faith illuminates these children, reminding them that they have the opportunity to complete their education and have a second chance at life. There is no evidence that confining children in institutions or detention reduces crime. They were driven to commit illegal acts for reasons that only they could fathom. In their families and communities, they encountered poverty and challenging circumstances. I listened and thought, "How are we so lucky to be able to get something that was deprived to these kids? Yet, we crave for some more." We commit actions that are not against the law because of what we have and what our parents can provide. I felt like I didn’t deserve to talk about my struggles because I have so much to be grateful for and people have way worse situations than mine. However, I thought about those kids and tried to put myself in their shoes. What about those who are incapable of experiencing life without having to think of what’s on their plate at dinner and face tomorrow dominated by fear? Adolescents should be trained and reintegrated into society as productive members. They should have access to alternatives to confinement, education, and other social services, as well as rehabilitation and reintegration within society—and I think that’s what the foundation was built for.

Being there and talking to them made me realize that there are still common ideas that spark inside of us— even after all those challenges, we are still kids who dreamt of conquering the world. We were never to be blamed for having these dreams, which may seem impossible to reach. It changed my perspective on life as well. It is not just about the diversity we are talking about; it is also the fire burning inside of us that keeps us going. The eagerness to face tomorrow because we have someone who believes in us. I also thought about taking steps to see the world from a different perspective. There are so many individuals who have been through so much at the hands of life; they are the ones who have dug themselves out of the fall and struggled to turn every loss into a lesson. The kindest individuals are formed and selected to soften when their circumstances try to harden them. At the end of the day, I hope those kids have forgiven themselves. Forgiven for the things that they were forced to do in order to survive. For the ways in which they had to fight through the misery of dealing with all that was heavy and confusing. The pain will subside, the sun will rise, and we will try again.