A homeless man stands outside of a grocery store. A beat up coffee cup in hand and cardboard sign.
The sign reads, "I'd rather beg than steal"
He smiles at everyone who passes him. Men & women in business attire. Teenagers driving their parents cars. Moms hurrying their children past him. All avoiding eye contact. All walking a little quicker to pass him. If they don't acknowledge him, he doesn't exist. They can continue their lives. Noticing, but not caring.
A single mother parks her car carefully between the two yellow lines. She nods her head to the radio & checks her grocery list before shutting off the car. She notices the man, with the dirty cup & cardboard sign. She notices the man, from 50 feet away.
She digs through her purse, finds change she would've used for laundry. She get out of the car, locks it and heads to the door. She walks over to the man, smiles - not one of pity, one of understanding. She drops the change into the cup, the sound it makes when it hits the bottom lets her know he hasn't been given much this evening.
He smiles, with kind eyes and says "God bless you. Thank you, honey".
She tells the man that she wishes she had more to give and continues into the store.
The homeless man smiles, thinking that she has already given him much more than a few dollars. She gave him acceptance. Kindness.
Acknowledgement.
Things all the money in the world can't buy.
The sign reads, "I'd rather beg than steal"
He smiles at everyone who passes him. Men & women in business attire. Teenagers driving their parents cars. Moms hurrying their children past him. All avoiding eye contact. All walking a little quicker to pass him. If they don't acknowledge him, he doesn't exist. They can continue their lives. Noticing, but not caring.
A single mother parks her car carefully between the two yellow lines. She nods her head to the radio & checks her grocery list before shutting off the car. She notices the man, with the dirty cup & cardboard sign. She notices the man, from 50 feet away.
She digs through her purse, finds change she would've used for laundry. She get out of the car, locks it and heads to the door. She walks over to the man, smiles - not one of pity, one of understanding. She drops the change into the cup, the sound it makes when it hits the bottom lets her know he hasn't been given much this evening.
He smiles, with kind eyes and says "God bless you. Thank you, honey".
She tells the man that she wishes she had more to give and continues into the store.
The homeless man smiles, thinking that she has already given him much more than a few dollars. She gave him acceptance. Kindness.
Acknowledgement.
Things all the money in the world can't buy.