There are days when I believe that the epicenter of Life is the point where First Street and Santa Clara Avenue meet.  More specifically, I am preeettty certain it’s in front of Walgreens!! I have been shocked, intimidated, speechless, bemused, and knee-slapping laughing. The other day, I had one of the special ones.

Daydreaming while I waited for an acquaintance, I became aware of a mother and her child shuffling around beside me. Mother was putting on a pair of plastic gloves while giving instructions to her 5-yr-old. “Now, Shaneesha, I want you to stand back here by this lady while Mommy take care of things.” Take care of things, I thought, what things?

Curiosity triggered, I scanned the field. Then, it was an ooooh, yeah, that definitely needs to be taken care of!

I saw a tall, old fellow about three feet away. Head covered by a stocking cap, chest covered by a tattered shirt, and sweatpants drooping, oh dear, mid-buttocks in the back and upper thigh in the front. Talking to the trash bin, he stood there, seemingly incapable of bending down, pulling up his trousers, or moving. Shaneesha’s mother, giving one final snap to her plastic gloves, moved purposefully up to man. In a very common sense tone she told him that she was going to adjust his pants so that he would look presentable.

He continued his diatribe to some unknown person in some unknown language as he was made “presentable.” The woman was exceedingly efficient. She stuffed his male equipment into his sweatpants in the front; walked to his back and pulled that stretched out waistband up to his waist. Finally, she reached up and patted him tenderly on his bony shoulders.

Mouth agape, I watched her pull off the gloves, take Shaneesha’s hand and move down the street. The old man, sparked by some unknown impulse took a step, paused, hitched his bag up, took another step, and made his way ever so slowly toward ….

How, I wondered, can I be so privileged to witness such love, compassion, and respect in action? What comes across my path; well, let’s just say that it is wholly holy!