Discrimination is still an issue in our world

We have seen a lot of improvement on social discriminationa round the world. Unfortunatly ignorance causes suffering upon people in some countries. While things are getting better, contributions by those who are fortunate to live in more confortable situations will always be appreciated.

 

Who am I

My name is Michael Habib, I am just acting here as someone who wants to help a 16 years old boy that we had the chance to meet in Mexico during our vacation. This boy has such a big heart and so much ambitions in his life but he is facing a major disadvantage right now. I wanted to share his story with you and see if it touches your heart enough to share this story with others.

 

This young man has suffered enough - We have the power to change his life in a matter of days.

This boy who turned 16 years old couldn't live hidding anymore. He was carying something inside him that was really starting to become heavy. He decided  to believe in the love he thought his parents had for him and accepted to confied his burrden to them. They reject him.  They've thrown him in the streets of Honduras.

Honduras is a country where we can find a lot of danger in the streets. They have what they call "Pandillas" where in order to recrute young people in their street gang, you need to be beaten up by the whole group and survive without trying to defend yourself.

This little young man did not want that to happen to him. He esacaped his country and travelled to Guatemala to be able to cross the border of Mexico where he thought it would be less dangerous to live.

Once he arrived there, a guy who is older (we got to see him during our trip) .. offered him a place to stay. This guy tried several time to abuse this little 16 years old boy. We had a conversation with the boy and told him that this couldn't continue, so one night he told the man. 

One day before returning to Canada, we learned around midnight that the boy was kicked out of the man's house and that the man refused to give him back his cloths.

We took him with us at our hotel for a night. We gave him a bit of money and left to Canada promising him that we would do everything under our power to help him. 

 

Did this boy really deserve this? - You be the judge

Here is the letter our boy agreed to send to his parents. It explains everything he felt and everything he wanted his parents to understand. I will let you read it as if you were this boy's parent.

Important letter from a child to his parents

 

 

Dear Mom, Dear Dad,  

 

Why have I chosen this method of communication? The reason is simple but the subject; pretty difficult to address in person.

I came to the point in my life where I feel the need to share a secret with you that is becoming heavy for me to carry. I wish to share it with you because you are the ones whom, with so much love, took the decision to bring to the world, the fruit of this love. I thank you and I thank our Lord to have given me the gift of life.

I am aware that it won’t be easy to accept but I remain confident that, as parents, you will have an opportunity confirming to God what He expects from all human being; the fact He really created beings of love capable of unconditional love. I am proud of being part of these people and I do believe in that type of love, especially the unconditional love a parent commit himself to when deciding to bring a child into this world.

I myself had difficulty admitting to myself what I’m about to reveal to you. I feel a great need to do so since you’re my parents and you have a right to know your child in the depth of his being.

A few years ago, I was listening to my friends speak about boys and girls, romantic relationships and sexuality. This triggered in me an inner search of my person, of what I wanted for my life. I was very confused. I had a strong sexual attraction toward one side but the voice in my head kept telling me not to go that direction by fear of hurting or offending the people who love me.  So, I tried to deny that part of me. Doing so, I was denying myself, denying my feelings, my needs, my heart.  This created a blockage preventing love toward myself and automatically toward others. Inside of me, there was no feeling of love, no freedom to be, no joy to live. There was only fear, only shame, only anger, only sadness, all leading to a suffering of the soul.

This unbearable sufferance eventually led me to tree choices. The first one, being what I thought at the time as an easy way out; putting an end to my life. The second one involved to live for others, which would mean to forget about myself, forget who I am, forget my needs, forget my heart, forget love and accept to live in the dark for the rest of my days. The third one was to embrace the path of self-love, the path of my heart, to live in peace, love and harmony first with myself and naturally with others. I’ve decided to take this risk of revealing that aspect of my personality called homosexuality, with which I’ll have to learn living with or without the support of my parents. I’ve taken a decision to face my fears hoping that you’ll make the proper efforts not to judge me on that small part of my being. This part is only my personal sexuality and not my total being. In your eyes, I’d like to remain the child you’ve always loved.

No need to blame yourselves or feel that you’ve failed your role as a parent thinking that it might be your fault if I’m this way. Homosexuality has nothing to do with the way in which a parent raises his child. Being homosexual orientated is not a disease, not a sin, not a punishment of God and certainly not a choice. You most probably have your own beliefs regarding homosexuality and I respect them hoping that you won’t attempt to change me or take make me to shrink thinking he might be able to ‘cure me’. I am who I am and I love myself for who I am. Don’t question yourselves too much, this is simply one of the realities of this world that encourages us to grow and evolve as human beings.

We have two choices; we can remain under fear’s influence by refusing to make an effort and take action or we can move forward under love’s influence by accepting our own self-growth, our desire to evolve and embrace change. You can either chose to keep negative beliefs based on fear most often thought by society and religions or allow yourselves to make your own positive beliefs by listening to the voice of truth which is located in the same place you can hear God whisper to you;  your heart.

“We have just enough religion to make us hate, criticize and judge each other but not enough spirituality to make us love and accept one another without conditions.”

 ? Jonathan Swift

So, Dad, Mom, here you go, you now know that I’m homosexual. It’s now up to you to love me or to reject me.  As far as I’m concerned, I will no longer need to drag this heavy burden with me. Regardless the decision you’ll take, I want you to know that I will always consider you as my parents and myself, as your child.

I hope with all my heart that this challenge brought by life, will lead us toward stronger bonds which in this way, forms a family.

I love you mom

I love you dad

                                                                                                                   

Your child