I was on my way to an appointment when I saw him on the exit ramp, holding a sign that said "anything will help". It was well below zero on that day and I wondered how long he had been standing there in his thin coat, waiting to see if anyone would stop. His face was worn and his beard was unkept, but his eyes were piercingly clear, a faded sky blue.
I fumbled with my wallet after maneuvering the car to a stop, managed to find a five dollar bill. I reached out to hand it to him and he took my hand in both of his, looked me full in the face and said "God Bless you Darling". His handshake was firm, and for a few seconds his complete, focused attention was on me. It had been a long time since anyone had called me Darling-maybe years. I couldn't remember the last time anyone had referred to me that way, and it had been a long time since anyone had given me their full, undivided attention; even for an instant. I remembered the warmth of his hands on mine for a long time afterwards, the sound of his voice, the joy of simply being recognized as a human being (and not ignored) in his eyes. I knew that it was the best five dollars I had spent in a long, long time, and I felt blessed by that momentary encounter with his warmth and humanity.
