My Friend Angel

I have been privileged to work with a lot of different people both little kids, teens, dads/moms and seniors over the last 5 years in South Phoenix. It is easy to fall in love with these kids. I want to share a little about a couple of them in my next blogs to both show the real needs that are there and also give a great sense of hope and excitement for their futures which will impact my future.

I love to write and express my life journey. I have a younger friend; I think he is 10, who is already an incredible communicator both through drawing sketches and the pen. Over the last year or so I have challenged him to draw and write on the ‘spot’. He is one of these kids who has a real talent or gift when it comes to expressing himself. I didn’t like to write as a youth and have learned over the years through necessity and a creative and crafty wife.

My good friend Angel is a kid who lives between a couple of different worlds where he might not fit in any of them. He lives with his grandma and grandpa. His mom and aunt, more like his older sister, also live with him. He lives between the world of Facebook and texting and the old Mexican Culture where Spanish is the language of communication and specific choices in life have been determined for him. The challenge as I see it is that the expectation that he will do high school and then get a job, like instantly. I see Angel as someone bound for college with the potential of being an incredible creative writer who will inspire teens as he grows up with them.

How do I help, nurture and love someone who is surrounded by a gang culture and anti-educational bias that isn’t his choice. He has an incredible grandma who is so sweet but doesn’t speak much English and the culture, which she represents, is alien to the world where Angel will live as an adult. Angel’s mom, who is a single mom, is struggling to do something with her life. She is there for my aspiring writer and artist but unfortunately her example is one of just getting by. I don’t want my Angel to just get by but to become someone who strives to do his best and become an influencer of culture.

My little friend had been fortunate to travel to Mexico with his grandma and visit relatives. He was able to spend last summer with his cousins. He is blessed to be bi-lingual and have a true comprehension of the Hispanic culture! I am jealous of this and wish there were a way for me to learn a new language. So my real question is how do I help, befriend and nurture this young man. He needs male role models and unfortunately his neighbor friend goes between being a helper conformist type to being a wanna be gang banger.

The reality is that left in his own environment he’s viewed as a cute little big guy who isn’t into sports, he can play guitar and is more artsy than anything else. I know that he has a tough time relating to his own peer group. He has a grandpa/dad who is definitely old world in his mannerisms. His mom and older sis/aunt can be rather controlling because he obviously needs guidance and boundaries, haha. My life at present would be so much less if I didn’t have my Angel. I want so much for him to have all of the opportunities that are out there so he can experience life with God in his own community setting. This is why I need the help of lots of friends to be positive influencers for the many Angels that are out there.