Spread the Seeds of Love at the Beach
(Written by Zan-jung Chen; Translated by Una Fan)
In the paradise islands of Hawaii, the most
beautiful views are from the white, sandy beaches dotted with
palm trees. Each beach has its own unique view of Hawaii.
Tourists are often left in awe of the beauty that they experience
from the island or just from looking out the windows of their
hotels.
The Tzu Chi Youth Group was supporting the
"1013" program, initiated by Master Cheng Yen to
spread love to the people around us and help our communities.
On November 11, at 3:30 in the afternoon, members of the group
arrived at the office ready to help. They took two cars and
drove to Kahala Beach, on the eastern side of Oahu Island.
Everyone had been given gloves and garbage bags to help with
the trash on the beach. That day, the trash was tossed about
by a strong wind. The children looked like they were competing
against the wind as they tried to collect the bits that blew
in the breeze.
It seems that after September 11, the number
of visitors had decreased considerably. The beach was much
quieter, and in less than two hours the group was done. There
wasn't too much garbage in the first place. They worked very
hard. Everyone ended up with full bags of trash that had been
scattered on the beach. Sister Chang brought some food for
the volunteers and they had a nice picnic. Next time, they
plan to go to a more populated beach to pick up more trash
and thus be of greater service to the community.
