Alms for the Poor?

On my way to the Laundromat, only a few miles away, I passed a woman standing at an intersection holding a cardboard sign saying “homeless, please help, god bless.” She was clutching a tattered black umbrella (that didn’t seem to be very effective) while trying to keep her hood from blowing back in the wind. Because I’m me I stopped, swapped umbrellas with her, and went off to buy her a hot tea (I don’t carry cash). We chatted for a while about her tent off in the woods and the best places to swim in the area. She has eleven Shepard/golden Retriever mix puppies living in her tent!

I don’t rant often, ok? I’m an easy going person, for the most part, but this woman was thrilled that someone spoke to her instead of treating her like a leper. She’s been living in this town for years, standing on the same corner and people barley make eye contact while they sit in their cars one foot away from her. You don’t have cash on you? Money’s tight and you can’t afford a buck? SAY HELLO! I’ve never met the town Mayor, but he's considered by residence to be more of a member of the community than this very interesting woman who literally lives in their back yards.

Anyway, that’s my spiel. All of us have been or will be down on our luck at some point in our lives. My mother use to say “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.” Yes, she was two steps from a communist, and if you aren’t down with that, fine, but sometimes the need is just a friendly word.