Life Teaches

The other day, while talking with my teacher, she asked me a question:

“Do you think life is more fair these days to children or to adults?”

That day, I answered “to children.” Because I thought when we grow up, our problems also grow. But my answer didn't stay the same for long. Sometimes life shows us the right answer with small signs. And often, we forget to see them.

Last Friday, during our volunteer visit to Carreta Cemetery, my answer changed. That day opened a new window for me.

Children playing in narrow streets, adults with quiet eyes… People living in the middle of a cemetery, between graves… In those moments, you realize that life is at the same time heavy and light, no matter where you look. For some it looks hard, for others easy. But in truth, it is different: life isn't fair. It only looks like that through our eyes.

As we grow up, we also grow our problems. But children can create big smiles with very small things in their hands. Maybe this is why we feel that life is less fair for adults. Because when we want more, when we wait more, when we always ask for more, we make the value of what we already have smaller. We forget that many things we live today were once our dreams yesterday.

And this is where sharing comes. Sharing can change the balance. Something very normal for us today can be something another person cannot even dream of. And to share, we don't need big steps.

Think about a snowball. At the start it is very small. But as it rolls, it grows, it becomes strong, it makes more sound. Kindness is the same. It starts with a small step, but it spreads, grows, and reaches others.

What we did that day was maybe small. But a smile, a warm moment, a person’s laughter… none of these are small.

Now I know: life isn't unfair to anyone. We can make it more fair when we share.

And I learned this lesson not in a classroom, but in the streets of the Philippines, where I came only to learn English.