Wendy Haskell

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All too often in the news after sporting events, we hear about fights that broke out, violence that occurred, and people getting injured, even killed due to this.  I am as passionate about sports as anyone, and admittedly get fired up when my teams aren't winning, but I can't imagine resorting to violence because of it! 

This past weekend, I was at the Buffalo Bills game at Metlife stadium against the Jets, and experienced something that compelled me to write this.  When I attend games at another team's stadium, I am always cautious to stay under the radar.  No matter how polite you are, opposing fans will heckle you if you are being outspoken about your team in their stadium.  I am fine with that! Most of the time, the heckling is funny!  Needless to say, I was wearing a Bills hat to show my support, but nothing else.  (staying under the radar!)

As I am walking into the stadium, a man behind me says to his 4 year old son "Hey [insert child's name here], hit that girl with your flag, she's a Bills fan!!" I heard this, knew he was talking about me, and was appalled. I turned around to this man, and simply said "Why teach violence and hatred to your kid? Teach Love.  We may disagree on which team we like, but why teach your child to hate?" Just like that.

Amazingly enough, this man was clearly taken back.  He apologized.  (And his kid did not hit me!)

It has been a week now, and I am still thinking about this.  With all of the media coverage lately about domestic abuse and violence, I felt the need to share this story, to help people realize that even though this may have been a small incident, that young kid was told that it was a good idea to HIT a woman!  I strongly believe that adult behavior comes from how a person is raised.

It seems like an obvious point, to teach kids to do right from wrong.  Yet it amazes me that there are people out there teaching their kids violence and hate.  I know that guy will never see this post, but if it makes even 1 person stop and think, and teach love to the next generation, then it was worth it for me to share.

While there were lots of things that impacted my outlook on life while I was in Haiti, this little guy changed it forever.

When we arrived to the educational/feeding program that saturday, he walked up to me, and just looked up at me with his arms in the air, wanting to be held.  I scooped him up, and he clung to me, as if he had never been held by an adult before.  He very well may not have. He was wearing a long sleeve shirt, I'm sure, the only shirt he owns.  It was 95 degrees outside.  I helped him roll up his sleeves which seemed to give him a little bit of comfort.

He rested his head on my shoulder, and the look on his face did not change once.  He clung to me while we cleaned up trash on a hillside, when we sang, talked to the kids, played with the kids, and while we handed out food.  Not once did he stop holding me with a grip which was asking me to never let him go.  

Each of the kids was handed a "ticket" for their meal.  He clung to his ticket like it was his life, and frankly, it very well may have seemed that way to him, because who knows when he ate before this, and I am positive he did not know when or where he was going to get his next meal.  The whole time while I helped hand out plates of rice, with maybe a few beans, and a shred of chicken if they were lucky, he looked at each plate, I'm sure wondering which one was going to be his.  I took a plate, and took him to sit down to feed him.  He sat on my lap and let me scoop each piece of rice into his mouth, looking at me with gratitude, but also a desperation, a look that read as a wish that this plate of food would never end, that I would never let him go.  He also got a small cup of clean drinking water, and savored every drop.  

As I sat here with this child, I wondered what his story was, where his parents were?  Was he abandoned? Did his parents get sick and pass away? How could a face this precious be alone in the world? How could a face this precious not be able to eat every day? How could he not know when he would get another small cup of clean drinking water? …and he is not the only one.  How many other beautiful little faces are there that are in the same situation as him.  I thought about the thousands upon thousands of kids like him, that life has treated so unfairly.  I wished there was more I could do.  I fell in love with this little boy in a few short hours.   I broke down and tears began to stream down my face, while I tried to not let him see.  I couldn't help it.  While I was crying, another little orphan came up to me and gave me a hug.  Another child that has literally nothing in life, was consoling me.  We didn't speak the same language, but a hug, love, was all any of us needed at the time.

It broke my heart to let him go when it was time to leave.  Thinking about where he would sleep that night.  If he would eat tomorrow, or this week? What his future would hold? 

I still pray for this little boy everyday, along with every other child in Haiti and around the world that are in his situation.  

Those eyes. <3 

I will be heading to Haiti toward the end of the month with a beautiful organization called i'mME. This trip will allow me to bring love, hope and empowerment to the orphans of Haiti.