One of my favorite things to do as a mom is to tuck my kids into bed at night.  At 5, 13 and 14 they still enjoy and expect this nightly ritual (although the older two would probably deny it!)  I believe its important to have this individual time with them at the end of each day, even if only for a few minutes.  Probably not surprising to many mom's, I typically wake up at least once during the night to make sure they are sleeping well and covered up.  It breaks my heart to think of the thousands of children around the world who don't have someone to tuck them in and check on them during the night. 

On my last day at the Aishworya Orphanage I witnessed a scene that will stay with me forever.   Each morning after their chores, the 38 children living at the orphanage would get themselves ready for school and although they had their own uniforms they did not have their own shoes.  Shoes were first come first serve.  A darling seven year old little girl (who always had a smile on her face) had on a pair of shoes that were ''well worn" but not broken.  Another child with smaller feet could not wear a pair of shoes with a broken strap so the seven year old little girl had to give up her school shoes for the smaller child.  On our walk to school I could hear the 7 year old little girl behind me crying softly.   It absolutely broke my heart to see a child forced to wear a pair of two sizes too large, broken shoes to school.   This was especially hard to watch when all the children there held their schoolwork and studying in such high regard and with such pride.  No child should have to ever go to school with two sizes too large, broken shoes.  --Danielle LiVolsi