Children

Every morning our group meets for a half an hour of reflection and discussion. Today Dr. Edgar gave us a word to consider throughout the day – children. He then recounted a moving story of a young girl that he met when he traveled to Baghdad, the winter before the Iraq War started. It was New Year’s Eve and this four year old girl, Caroline, was decked out in a red dress and a red hat. As girls of her age are sometimes apt to do, she was making new friends, bringing the pretzels that her mother gave her over to Dr. Edgar and his group, offering them to them before playfully snatching them back. Her smile and joy for life was bittersweet to the group, as just a few short months later her country was under attack.

Caroline is a stark reminder of the toll that war and poverty has on children. Their bright spirits are not responsible for the destruction and pain around them, but their lives are affected, and often torn apart, because of the deeds of their leaders and even of leaders in nations far away. Dr. Edgar has a picture of Caroline on his office wall, and every day he sees the picture he wonders about her fate.

Today’s journey will remind us of the children of Armenia. And I know that we will all keep the children of Armenia in mind as we help build the Habitat homes. Hopefully their children will be able to live in a world with less poverty, war and pain.