Imagine spending your childhood growing up in a prison. Diego and his baby sister live in San Sebastián Prison in Cochabamba, Bolivia with their mother who has been wrongly imprisoned. She spends her entire day knitting to make money for her family. The cell and food must be paid for with her earnings. Diego supplements their income by running errands for the other prisoners. He is what they call a "taxi", hence the title of the book. Out in the streets and market place during the day, Diego fights to make a living, doing odd jobs as well as the errands he's being paid for. It is this existence that ultimately causes Diego to make a decision that could change his life forever.
Comfortable in our homes and living in a peaceful, democratic nation, it is difficult to imagine this type of life. Yet, things are much different in many countries throughout the world. Oppression and poverty still exist and people are living in adverse conditions that we can't even imagine.
This evening, I volunteered for Operation Christmas Child, packing shoe boxes of goodies and toys for children in developing countries. The generosity and thoughtfulness of those who donated items for each box was very touching. As I sorted through the items, I thought about how different life must be for the children receiving these gifts. In an age where our children have iPods, cell phones and digital cameras, these children are happy to receive toothbrushes, soap, candy and small toys.
I was glad to have my daughters working by my side on such a worthwhile project. Not only did it make us thankful for what we have, it also reminded us of the true meaning of Christmas - giving to those less fortunate than ourselves.
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