I bought shawarma for a homeless man and his dog on a bitter winter evening. It seemed like a simple act of kindness at the time. But when he slipped me a note hinting at a past I’d completely forgotten, I knew this was no ordinary encounter.
I worked at a sporting goods store in a mall downtown. After 17 years of marriage, two teenagers, and countless late shifts, I thought nothing could surprise me. But life is funny that way.
I smiled, refusing to start crying again, and invited him inside.
As my family shared cake and conversation with our friend, I thought about how close I’d come to walking past him that cold evening, too busy with my own problems to notice someone else’s pain.
How many other Victors were out there waiting for someone to see them?
That’s why I often repeated my grandmother’s words to Amy and Derek, reminding them to be kind always and take every opportunity to make the world a little less harsh.
You never know if it’ll be a lifeline for someone.