The Sadness Collector

   By: Merlinda Bobis

Summary

The short story, The Sadness Collector is about a girl named Rica who has problems while growing up with her father because her mother works overseas as a domestic helper. After her mother left for Paris she’s uses to send different gifts to Rica just to show her love and her presence. To divert Rica's attention, her father told her a story about a big lady who eats sadness away from houses at night. Her dad told her that if the big lady eats all of their mess, the big lady might grow too fast and burst, so Rica has to be a good girl and save the big lady by not being sad. Ever since her mother left, Rica would be so eager listen to all of the sounds at the kitchen and waiting for the big lady to show up. One night, Rica heard noises again and because of the story that her father made about the lady who eats sadness, she became nervous and afraid that the big lady might burst but unfortunately it wasn’t even the big lady at all, not even her aunties. But it was only her drunk dad. Rica told her dad about her hesitations and her thoughts about the noise she heard and argued with her dad that it was really the Big lady. But maybe, because of her dad’s guilt about making a story and about his reckless actions, he said sorry and assured Rica that big lady can’t and won’t ever get her away from him, and to top it off she assured Rica that he really loves her. But due to her young mind Rica tends to wait patiently for Big Lady to appear.

Moral Values...

The Sadness Collector's story captures the essence of how we should cherish our parents' efforts. In the story, Rica was left by her mother and raised by her father. Rica's mother sacrificed her life to work abroad because he wanted Rica to have a good and meaningful life, which is why she does everything she can to meet her family's demands. Despite his sadness, her father makes her daughter happy by telling her the story of the sadness collector.

As children, we must appreciate our parents' efforts because life passes us by in the blink of an eye. We age so quickly from childhood to adulthood that we sometimes fail to notice our parents' aging. We should start giving back to our parents and show our appreciation as soon as possible. In addition, we can make our parents happy by behaving well, performing well in class, and thanking them for the good things they have done for us. Believe me when I say that a simple "I love you" and "thank you" can lift them out of their sadness.

As a 21st Century Learner...

The sadness collector made me realize how difficult it is to work abroad and be separated from our own families. I haven't seen it personally, but I am aware that some children who have parents who work abroad struggle because they miss their parents' love. I deeply respect parents who work abroad because they must be strong and courageous just to meet their family's needs. And to those children who have been left by their parents, always look for the brighter side, and remember the reason why your parents need to work from another country. Keep your head up; everything will be fine because God sees how strong you are. Virtual hugs and kisses can lift your parents' spirits, so find ways to communicate with them. And as a 21st Century Learner, we will soon have our own family; let us make plans for a better future so that our child does not have to go through the heartbreak of being separated from a parent. Remember, "family and love are the most important things in the world."