Journal - June 1, 2026

I share the following story as a simple reminder to be grateful for the basic necessities in life, and prayerful for those fighting to survive. This is not something uncommon here. The other day we were driving home around 4 PM. We came upon our neighbor's wife and 7 year old daughter who were walking home. We noticed the young girl was crying as her mom appeared to be telling her to stop. When we got close, we stopped and rolled down the window to say hello. We asked Nara what was wrong, as she is typically a happy and smiley child. Her mom told us she was throwing a fit because they had just passed the street vendors selling snacks and she could not buy anything for her daughter. The girl was hungry. She wasn't crying because of the heat, the long walk home, or something else, she was just very hungry and probably had not had a meal that day.

My heart continues to be broken for the suffering in this life and the resilience of these beautiful souls.