Two of three, AKA: the middle

This one isn't really a funny one but it is still one that I'll always remember. About two days ago I had the chance to go and drop off some humanitarian aid items to an orphanage. It was probably one of the saddest thing that I've ever seen. When we first arrived I went into the orphanage with a couple of others to talk to the headmaster and see what we could do to help them out but when we first opened up the gate to walk in that kind of became second on the list. Instantly we were swarmed by just kid after kid. They all had the biggest brightest smiles on their faces even though they had dirty worn down clothes on their bodies. They all even had their heads shaved because of the hygiene issues. Every kid did their best to try and grab you and hold your hand. They would just look and you and say hello mister. Trying to get through the crowd of kids was a slow task but worth it. At that moment I was really able to take a look at my life and see what I really had. I stopped to make sure that I was able to say hello to every kid that wanted to say hello to me. It was a great feeling, knowing that we were there to see what we could do to help these kids. We finally made it though the kids and into the building that they had they unfortunate situation of calling it a home. The building was nothing more than a couple of windows and walls to protect them from the elements. We went to the headmasters office and sat down to see what they needed and the simple answer was, "Everything". The headmaster told us that they had approximately 130 children in the orphanage and every single one needed anything that they could get. The people that I went with told him that they would arrange for approximately 130 new mattresses, sheets and blankets. They also told him that they would get a bunch of hygiene items and clothes for the kids. The headmaster than took us for a walk through of the building. We went into the rooms that the children lived in and saw what they had to deal with. All of the beds were lined up head to toe with mattresses that weren't even as thick as some of the blankets that we have at home and every kid had a locker that was about 10" x 10" x 12". It was just enough space to place what few clothes they had and any other personal items they had. The carpet was just plane gone, completely trashed and dirty, or torn to shreds. I kind of felt bad because I loaded my HMMWV up with a bunch of items for the kids like sandals, back packs and soccer balls but I only took enough for about 30 kids. So instead of just handing them out to all of the kids I just gave them all to the headmaster to hand out to the kids. I said good bye to the headmaster and wished him the best of luck with taking care of the kids. I loaded back up in my HMMWV and drove off. It really sucked seeing the kids in that kind of a situation. The headmaster told us that most of the kids were in there because the Taliban had killed their parents. It was hard to go knowing that they needed help but we did what we could do for them at the time. Hopefully soon enough the whole country can see a new way of life. Not one that's torn apart because of those who control by fear. So when you go to bed tonight make sure that you let your loved ones know how much you love them and care for them and let them know how grateful you are to have them in your life. Things can change in just a blink of an eye and I see that now that I had the chance to meet those kids. I'm now going to just let all of you know how much I love you and miss you. I really am so glad to have the family and friends in my life that I do. I am grateful for the life that I have and will never complain about the extras and amenities of my life. I'm just glad that I have the people I have to share my life with. Thank you.