"It bothers me when they have a frown on their face," my son said as he looked out the window. I knew he was talking, but I wasn't really listening. I was distracted tonight. Tired and finding that my mind was elsewhere, I dismissed what he said.
We were driving through the middle of town on one of the busiest shopping days and I just wanted to get our food and go home.
As we sat parked in front of the restaurant waiting for our order, he couldn't let it go. "Mom, he looked real sad. It really makes my heart hurt. Where is he going to sleep tonight?" Then the tears started.
What I saw when I turned around took me away from myself. Away from my own thoughts and needs.
My son was frantically searching through his wallet, the cup holder, and anything else in the car that might have money. His tears still fresh and his breath a bit desperate, he combed through every inch of the seats until he found something.
His small hands held a few dollar bills and a dime. Tears streaming down his face, he held the money out to me like an offering. "Do you think this will be enough for him to buy some food?"
There are a few corners in our town that people tend to gravitate towards. Most days, I glance their way and continue on. Like many people, I think about them. Think about those people on the corner. Wonder what their story is. How they ended up there. Where they will sleep at night.
Then the light changes colors and I move on.
Kids don't pay attention to the lights changing. Their world is not full of things to do. Their life is still defined by small gestures. They see things through a simple lens. Kindness, patience and graciousness.
Their mind has room to think about the things they see and their heart guides them in what they should do.
I was not thinking about his needs while I was sitting in my warm car surrounded by various purchases made today. My mind did not turn to the man on the corner. I'm not even sure I noticed him when we drove by.
"Mom this is really important to me. I need to give this to him," my son said to me looking at his hands. His hands that held far more than just a few dollars. What those hands held represented hope for my son.
So we left the parking lot and walked to him. I sent the kids ahead of me and walked a few paces behind observing their excitement and nervousness. Catching their smiles as they turned to each other to share a few words before we reached him.
"Excuse me, this is for you," my son said. The man turned around and for a second I thought I saw a smile form at the corner of his mouth. I don't think he was expecting to see a 6 and 8-year-old when he looked our way.
"Merry Christmas, I hope this is enough for you to buy some food," my son said.
He looked down at my son, this man on the corner, and very gently said a few simple words that meant the world to my son tonight; "Merry Christmas, young man -- and thank you."