One Big Happy Family

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I were driving along the Alabang-Zapote Road when we spotted a "street family": a man and his obviously pregnant wife with their three children - one looked like he was around five or six years old, the second around three and the youngest maybe a year old at the most.

From the looks of it, they had been living on the streets for quite some time: dirty, tattered clothes, grimy faces and arms, and well-used cartons sheets on which they were obviously preparing to go to bed on. I had feelings of anger more than pity at what they represented to me: irresponsible parents who knew they had no place to live and hardly any source of income to feed their family, and yet found time and reason to bring fourth another life into their already dreary-world.

But then my daughter's voice brought me back to my senses. In her happiest tone, Julia simply said "Look Dada, they're one big happy family!"

I didn't have much time to give them a second look, but I did see that the two older kids were playing together, while the father gave the youngest a "horsey ride" on his leg. The mother watched the two older kids with obvious enjoyment.

They may not have had what I thought they needed - but at least at the moment I saw them, they had what they wanted: a happy family.

An office mate had earlier asked me how many people live in big houses but have incomplete families? Absentee parents or no parents at all?

I was amazed at the insight of my daughter. Actually, I believe it was more of my daughter's lack of adult insight that made her wiser beyond her years. She didn't see the street family through the eyes of a biased adult such as myself - she saw the happy family through the eyes of a child whose innocence still makes her believe that there is beauty in this dreary world.

No judgment. No hypocrisy. No biases.

Not the faintest hint of sarcasm or pessimism at all.

Just the simple and happy belief that this is still a beautiful world to live in.

I looked at Julia, and she looked straight back at me with the smile created by the scene of that "one big happy family" still radiantly displayed on her face.