I never believed my presence could make a difference or that something as simple as volunteering for a few hours could actually change someone's life. Little did I know, mine would be changed for the better as well. In the heart of a beautiful summer day, I would meet two young girls. And in just one moment, they would alter my perspective on life forever.
Alison and Samantha were thirteen and nine, respectively. They were homeless and had lived in various places throughout the course of their childhood. A small church in Northern New Jersey was one of those homes for the sweltering hot months of July and August. Meeting these girls made me think of all of the opportunities I was lucky enough to have, which heartbreakingly, they were deprived of.
Before that moment beautiful moment on the playground with the girls, I remember how Alison was mesmerized by the meal the members of the church had put together. For her, this was like Christmas morning. But for me, it was just another glance at the array of foods I had always been surrounded by. I even silently wished that the bowl of green beans on the table would turn to jelly beans. Later on, I would realize that this was merely trivial compared to the hardships the girls faced everyday.
The playground was a haven for the girls. It was honestly a haven for anyone who yearned to jump into a time machine back to her years of naivety and innocence. On the monkey bars, the girls could swing past each predicament in their lives. They could even imagine that reaching the end was vital, or else they would fall into the sweltering hot lava beneath them. Or perhaps be the next meal for three ferocious alligators lingering below the playground, with teeth barred like sharp daggers. The playground was the epitome of their imagination. This was where Samantha could be a valiant princess and fight dragons who breathed meteor-sized spheres of fire, intent on destroying the kingdom of her life.
It was when the girls brought me into the cataracts of their castle, did I realize I had fallen under their spell of love for all the little things in life.
I remember us three girls sitting in a small circle and Samantha grabbing my hand. Gingerly, her fingers grazed the glossy purple nail polish that gleamed from my nails. Then she murmured softly in a hopeful, yet melancholic tone, which broke my heart all at once and just as quickly, pieced it back together.
“Ally, your nails are the color of my old room.”
At first I was at loss for words because what could I possibly say to make this little girl feel better? I knew that she would never see that room again…and being unable to help her was like being pricked by a rose. I could try to stop the bleeding, but that would never change the initial pain. This time I took her fragile hands into mine.
“You know, Samantha, purple is a royal color. It only takes one dash of purple to be a princess.”
I had left her wonderstruck. She jumped off the playground and rushed back into the church with the fervor of a heroic knight. In no time, she was back with a clear plastic box filled to the brim with colorful nail-polishes. Alison found the purple nail polish immediately and shouted,
“Ally I want to be a princess first!”
At that moment, I swore my smile could cheer the most pessimistic person up on the dreariest rainy day. It spread like wildfire to the girls and suddenly it did not matter what else was occurring in the world. Soon, all of our nails gleamed purple and it was enough to put an amethyst jewel to shame. I would never be able to give them back the home they had lost, but for that moment it was enough. In our kingdom, we did not need a towering castle because the smallest bit of color could make the biggest difference.
No longer was I lost in believing that volunteering was trivial, or that making a difference in someone’s life was impossible. I had found my place in the kingdom of the girl’s hearts, and I will always be thankful for that time on the playground, when Samantha and Alison made me realize the little things in life (such as nails painted purple) are the ones I should appreciate the most.
