“Wherever there is a human in need, there is
an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference.”
-Kevin Heath-
CEO More4kid
The same homeless people stand guard on the freeway entries near my work. I've seen them for years. Enough that I generally know who stands post when and where. I've also seen them when they are ill, when they get a new set of clothes from donations, when they have eaten, when they have lost weight from lack of nourishment, when they are a little plumped from having the opportunity to have eaten, etc. I also see them in their worst and in their general okay-ness. I've seen them intoxicated and belligerent, when they are sincere and I see in their weary eyes defeat.
It's been one of my self-proclaimed duties to help them in a small way for the last 5 years. Sometimes I hand them food out of my lunchbag. A few times I just gave them my whole lunch. If it's hot and I have water, it's theirs. When I don't have food on hand I give them my change or a bit of cash (if I even have any). This morning I handed the old guy some change. He stood at that light for some time and no one offered (as I was digging around in my bag). When I opened my window and yelled out, "SIR!" he came running over and thanked me. I hoped he could get a nice piping hot coffee with that. Then, you know what happened? Four other cars opened their windows with change. Infectious.
Someone once asked me why I'm wasting my time and money. Well, I don't know the story of these men and women. I don't know how they got on the street or the hardships they may have endured. Heck, I don't even know if they really are homeless! What I do know is this- their life is hard at this present moment in time. Much harder than mine with all my little luxuries that I most likely take for granted on a daily basis.
Small random acts of kindness may seem trivial in the larger sense. But there is so much power in showing others that compassion and empathy are still transparent in this world. If each of us can show another human being who is in their worst present state that there is hope, sometimes that little bit is just enough to give them the opportunity to chase it. I say that from my own experiences. May it not be as extreme as being homeless, there have been a handful of people I have crossed paths with who at many low points of my life somehow breathed into me a little bit of positivity and hope. Just enough to start a snowball effect and help me climb out.
As a mom, my wish is to show my daughter not to turn a blind eye when something tugs on her heart strings. My sincere wish is that she will one day also know that sharing good is infectious.
