A young girl is smiling at me from a picture frame on my desk as I write this. She is my child I 1 sponsored from the Philippines. Even though I have never met her in person, she has found a 2 place in my heart. It doesn't 3 me much to help her, about a dollar a day. 4, millions of people in this world live on less. The 5 that helping her gives me, however, is beyond 6. It connects me to her, to life, 7 to love.
I can still 8 the first time that I decided to help a child overseas. It was many years ago. I was only a teenager myself and had a little extra 9 each month. I didn't feel like 10 anything, though. We had 11 everything we had in a house fire a few years before. 12 that had taught me a lot. I had learned that I didn't need a lot of "stuff" to be 13. I had also read a lot about the 14 of children in poor countries around the world. It seemed like a far better thing then to give what I could to help them. With my Mom's love and 15, I soon found a few organizations like Children International that were 16 others around the world. It felt so good being able to reach out and help another 17. It felt so good being able to make even one life better. I could feel the compassion and 18 growing within me and beginning to change me.
Empathy (同情) does change us. It helps us to 19, to be kind, and to make this world a 20 place.
