I'll Stand By You.

Look into their eyes... there is no filter, no pretension....
you can almost feel their fragile dreams and hopes for a better day to come.
I'll be back for these small guys. I will be back.

Currently traveling in The Sahara and the bordering villages to Algeria, I have been driving through the poor south of Morocco.
In my shallowness and deeply naivety, I often find that I need to put myself in the midst of the misery to understand the pain others go through in order to become angry enough to get up and do something about it. I am a bit ashamed to admit that someone telling me the sad facts is not enough for me to leave my own materialistic concerns and really change my priorities. If I don't see the pain in their eyes and feel those shattered dreams, I tend to shove it under the carpet with the rest of the nasty stuff going on in this world, worrying more about the size of my derriere and which new stilettos to buy matching my silk scarf. And yes, this vain part of me does make my toes cringe, but that's how it is.

So every now and then I make sure to give myself a wake-up call to remember that my sorry derriere is not the center of attention. And driving through one of these small villages, the kids already trying drugs from 6 years of age and many not having their parents anymore, I just wanted to grab them with me like the kittens abandoned in the trash cans. These are kids that don't cry over spilled milk, they just lick their wounds and get up and move on. Struggling for their fair share in life. They don't feel sorry for themselves. All they need is someone to give them a chance in life. A small push out of those dusty back alleys.

All they really want is someone to say that they'll stand by them. That they'll be there for them when no one else believes in them.

Someone like you, who says those words that matter the most of all...

I'll Stand By You.

These are the words that I believe every human really wants to hear from someone in their lifetime. Stand by me when everything crumbles and falls. Stand by me when no one else believes in me, not even I. Stand by me through my worst hour. Stand by me in spite of me. Stand by me when you're the only one who will.
Saying "I'll stand by you" is the purest expression of self-sacrifice: disregarding whatever you may get out of a situation - saying goodbye to your own ego and insecurities of rejection because you ask nothing in return. You'll simply be there for another person and be there and stand by - whatever it takes, you'll be there.
You may think the words most want to hear is "I love you". But in reality no. Not another hollow sounding "I love you".
I think many of us have heard that line one too many times to take note. I love you is inflated as there are so many selfish and contaminated reasons as to why someone may use this line.

I love you (if you keep that body).
I love you (if you give me your black Amex).
I love you (if you go to bed with me).
I love you (if you make me feel lovable).
I love you (if you do my dirty laundry).
I love you (if you make me feel good about myself).
I love you (because I need someone to need me).
I love you (because I am scared to be alone).
I love you (because you are beautiful).
I love you (until you don't obey my rules).
I love you (until I discover your weaknesses).

And surely, I cannot be the only one guilty as charged of absentmindedly mumuring "yes darling, love you too" while mindlessly reading the morning newspaper. It's like we feel that if we just say this, then everything will be fine. Even when we deep inside know it's way too late, and we should have ended things, then saying "I love you" seems like a safe way to camouflage our real state of mind; it requires no action - it's just like pushing stand-by. On the contrary, "I'll stand by you" is something that requires a different level of commitment and thus requires our immediate attention to utter those words. Because they are so genuine and strong... and once they are said, it demands action. We need to be there and stand up for someone in spite of our own needs and get out of our comfort zone.

Seeing those small guys struggle for the stuff I bought them, and being so grateful for so little... I decided I'm going to start up a Kidz'NKittenz™ orphanage in Morocco in 2012.
I know - it's just a small step. Not even a drop in the ocean. But at least I'm going in the right direction.

And do feel free to join me - I'll be working on the details of this project over the next months and whether funding parts of it or just giving your time, you would mean the world to someone. Someone just like you could mean the world to someone looking up at the stars right now in this very moment... hoping, dreaming and wanting more in life.
Do you remember those skyscraper dreams when you were a kid? Do you remember those hopes and the feeling of immortality - that the sky is the limit. Every kid out there deserves to have them and someone who'll give them the opportunity at least to get there if they want it bad enough. If no one lends them a hand they may fall to the floor and shatter before they experienced living any life at all.

Anyway, these small guys got their bikes fixed and footballs (hopefully spending their time training and playing instead of drugs) until I come back looking for them again.

Because if everyone would only say that "I'll stand by you" once in their life to one person, then we would accomplish so much more and be that step closer to happiness.

Anyway - network is scattered here in the Sahara (and hey, AT&T covers Sahara - better believe it!) and I'm off to catch the sunset on camel back far away from any fears of tomorrow. And for that I am grateful.

2012 - let that be the year where you stand by someone. Someone who needs it when everything crumbles and falls.

I'll stand by you.

Who will you stand by?