People with signs asking for extra change stand on street corners. We’ve all seen them. It’s simple to ignore them or guess what’s going on with them. What if we stopped for a moment to really see them?
My friend Chris and I met at a café one day. People gave him a dollar, and his eyes seemed to be filled with deep sadness. I didn’t ignore him; instead, I asked him to come have coffee and a snack with me.
Chris told me about his life. He lost his mother to cancer and is having a hard time with addiction. He said he wanted to make his mother happy and change his life. I had to hear what he had to say because it moved my heart.
Chris asked for a piece of paper and a pen before we left. He wrote something down and gave it back to me. After we said goodbye, I didn’t read his words until much later.
“Thank you, lovely soul!” was written on the note. I was moved to tears by those simple words. This guy was ignored and judged a lot, but he still took the time to say thank you.
I wrote about our meeting on social media to bring attention to the problems that homeless people face. The post went global because Chris’s story touched a lot of people.
Chris’s drive to beat his addiction and start over moved a lot of people. His story showed how important it is to care about others and understand them. We forget that everyone has a name, a story, and a need to be seen.
“Thank you, lovely soul!” Chris said, and I can still hear them. This is a lesson that being kind can make a difference even when things look the worst. I hope that our chance meeting will encourage other people to get to know the people around them better.
Chris’s story makes us want to stop, listen, and see the good in each other in a world where it’s easy to just walk by. His willingness to talk about his problems and his thanks have changed me and, I hope, other people as well.
