“ Papito….some people have nothing “
She reminds me of this fact often.
Mag was spending a couple of months in Colombia back in the winter of 1999 allowing me the treat of possessing the TV remote. I sat one evening flipping through the news channels touting the worlds woes when a few select words caught my ear……
“Earthquake and Armenia and Pereira Colombia “
Maggie was close by when an earthquake of 6.8 on the Richter toppled two thirds of the city of Armenia and it was three anxious days before phone contact between us could be made. When it was she asked…..
“ Papito….people have lost everything and need food….can I spend our money ?”
She needn’t have bothered asking….she had already used the check card and spent our money on food and had spent the past two days with other volunteers on numerous food ferrying missions to what was by now a riot torn city . The government was slow to respond to the catastrophe and very quickly the city was rife with looting, rioting and robberies for just food. By this time the initial death toll of one thousand had been driven to two thousand . My wife and her friends showed great courage being early responders to that horrific catastrpohe…. they made up many meals and on every delivery they braved violence and robbery to help the neediest .
and I am very proud of them
