Title of Reflection: Lend a Helping Hand
Done By: Geraldine Tay #8 :D



This picture shows the scene of people working together. The three boys moving the cart may be strangers because they are not communicating with one another. Perhaps they are volunteers giving aid to victims of a disaster in another part of the country because they are trying to move many bags of items around. The looks on their faces indicate that the task is tedious. None of the boys are smiling and it also tells me that the bags are heavy and difficult to move around. I believe that the boys are feeling very frustrated because it seems like they cannot move the cart even though they are trying very hard. The other people in the background seem to be oblivious to the fact that the three young boys are having difficulties in moving the cart as none of them bothered to lend a helping hand. I think the boys are hoping someone would offer to help them with the cart so they can bring the bags of items to the victims more efficiently.

Besides the three boys, there are other people trying to move similar bags as well. Perhaps they are from the same organisation and are all volunteers. The people moving the other cart seem to also have difficultly in moving their cart. I think it is due to the nature of the ground. There are many cracks in the ground, which makes moving the carts difficult. The wheels of the cart may get stuck in the cracks. With such heavy objects in the cart, it is very difficult to get the wheel out of the crack and continue moving.

I believe that after they have done their job of bring aid to the needy people, they will go home and share the wonderful experience of bringing happiness and hope to others. They may share with their family members how happy they felt when their actions brought smiles to the faces of the victims and how a simple action can actually bring so much joy to so many people.

Personally, I feel that the boys are mature. Even though the boys may be young, but they still want to play their part in helping others. This is something we should learn, to put others before ourselves. I have to admit, sometimes, even I am very self-centered and I believe most teenagers are. This is mainly because we are lucky to have parents who dote on us and give us nothing but the best. Because our parents always give in to us, we will eventually be turned into spoilt brats. Thus, we start to think that we are always right and people should listen to us. Furthermore, teenagers nowadays seem to have lost their compassion. They don’t volunteer at old folks’ homes or orphanages; neither do they donate to the needy. Reason being, they think that those are the jobs of adults. Adults are the one earning thousands a month, they should donate to the needy, not us, teenagers who depend on our parents for allowance. For those adults who have extra time on their hands, they should be the ones volunteering their time, not us, teenagers who are supposed to study and get good results. We feel that donating our two dollars is nothing compared to the hundreds and thousands of dollars the adults donate and we won’t make a difference anyway. However, these boys have shown us otherwise. They have shown that every little effort counts. There is no age limit when it comes to helping others. It is the thought that counts. We should help others with good intentions and we must do it with sincerity. Only then will we enjoy the process and bring joy to others.

The boys have also shown perseverance. They did not give up despite the difficulty they are facing. I believe that they have the victims of the disaster in mind and that is the motivation that keeps them moving forward. In life, we should also persevere. Life is like a race, even if we may face difficulties, we should not give up halfway. The reason is simple: the important thing is not winning this race; it is to finish running it. If we give up in the middle, we will never get to know what is at the finishing line. The obstacles and difficulties in our lives also enable us to learn from our mistakes and become more sensible. Without those, we’ll never know what it is like to fail or to make a mistake and we’ll always have naïve thinking. Come to think of it, if I were to be in their shoes, I will try, but I doubt I will make it all the way to the end. I guess I’m too used to having an easy life that I forgot how it is like to do work.

I guess most of us are really blessed to have food, clothes and a roof over their heads. However, we need to understand that not everyone is the same. Some people are not as fortunate as us and they need our help and support. Even if we may not know them, we should still help them. When people really need our help, we should put in our best effort to help them. That way, the experience will really be enriching and unforgettable.