There is a man that stands in the hallway that leads from the bus to the subway at Dufferin Station. I have seen him there on a few different occasions, as I am sure many have who take this route home at this time. He stands, not sits, often asking passers by for spare change. But not always.
Today all he said to the woman in front of me was, “Bless you.” She turned around, not stopping her quick walk, and apologized for not having any money. An acknowledgement, some words, an apology – probably more than this man receives from a lot of folks who pass by him and do not look, do not speak, do not acknowledge. They do not know how or do not care.
But today was different. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t have any money.”
“All I said was bless you, ma’am. Bless you.” The man just wanted to bless this woman, no change required.
How often we are quick to judge someone based on what they look like, what they smell like, what we have seen them ask for many times before. How quick we are to pass by not saying anything or saying the wrong thing because we don’t know what to do. When “these people” are our friends, children of God, human beings full of life and love and soul too. People who can speak and have conversations and like to be smiled at and spoken to, like we all do.
Bless you. All I said was bless you.
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