A Tale of Two Boys

Fifty three years ago, son number three was born into a Kentucky family of slim resources but an abundance of opportunity. It was a period in American history when dreams were big, energy to create them was plentiful and distractions to take away from that energy were limited. This number three son had fortunate genetics, big brothers to look up to and parents who fed his body and brain.

He benefited from the small but adequate local library and schools, and as he grew he gleaned all that was available to him educationally, spiritually and physically to become the person he wished to be. He climbed trees, played with his dogs, spent his childhood in the outdoors and asked for little. This particular boy had educated parents who used their professions to nourish their son and his siblings.

When he left his Kentucky roots he took with him a love of learning, and a desire to live a life of returning the gifts he had been offered as a child. Returning to the U.S. after his church mission, this third son earned a scholarship to medical school, finished his residency in anesthesia, became the father of three children of his own and went onto become a talented and caring

physician who is loved by many and admired by all who come to know him. Son number three was blessed to utilize all of the opportunities life offered him to develop into a man who brought gifts to humanity and shared his talents.

Five years ago in a hamlet in remote northern Guatemala, a son number three was born to a woman who was herself the size of a child. Maternal malnutrition reduced her frame to little more than that of her oldest son, but she managed to breastfeed this son just as she had her other children, formula was not a financial option. This son spent his childhood living in the dirt of his dwelling, happy to follow his older brothers as they played with nothing but made their childhood joyful nonetheless. He grew physically and knew nothing of the World Health Organization (Article) charts that, if he were measured, would show him to be critically malnourished. He climbs trees, plays with his dogs, and has spent his childhood in the outdoors and asked for little. His mother has no formal education and earns eighty dollars a month washing clothing. This Guatemalan child does not attend school, nor does he expect to anytime soon; his mother cannot afford the supplies and required foot ware. He also loves his big brothers, but he has no benefit of a father or the income one would provide to the family. There are no libraries, nor would his illiterate mother be able to read to him were books available.

There is no photo of the Guatemalan third son as an adult. His story is still being written in the future that is untold. The pages are blank but there will not be much information to fill them. The trajectory of his life as it currently exists falls flat and does not incline with increased income or well being. His destiny was predestined with his birth into this family that could offer him nothing but survival.

History will not look back kindly on our lack of attention to these sons, and their sisters. The loss of potential and the societal burden of their poverty in our world has yet to be measured. Two third sons; two different families: one hemisphere.