Breakfast at McDonald's - A Reason for Red, Green & Warmth
A mother of three tells the her story about the last class she had to take to graduate which was Sociology. Read on...
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document
their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello
anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'.
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of compassion as he searched for acceptance.
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed
gentleman was his guardian.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That's why I married you Honey, you give me hope.'
That day showed me the compassion of humanity.
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, my instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read
this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.
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Drew that story hit a spot I had no idea existed. I started thinking about all the times in my life that I retreated from that which I did not understand. I started thinking about the times where I did not look beyond the obvious and may have missed out on opportunities to grow as a person. It started me thinking about how my own pre-concieved notions have allowed me to walk past a group of men standing around a manhole cover because the steam rising from it might just give them a few degrees of warmth to fight the winter chill and not even give it a second thought. I started me thinking about the homeless man sleeping in a doorway so his clothes would stay dry. Wet clothes make the cold that much more unbearable. It started me thing a bout the importance of this little thing we call RED, GREEN and WARMTH and why we should all give just a little. If you can't give blood give a couple of bucks or maybe a blancket and if you don't think a couple of bucks or a blanket can make a difference, then think about how cold you feel as you rush to your car after work tonight or into your home when you get there. Think about how you shake the cold of when you enter your warm vehicle or house and think that the only way some homeless have to escape the cold is to cease to exist.
Drew, what a great story. I have heard it before. When I was working downtown I has a group of homeless people who would hand out by my garage. I always felt safe seeing them there and never worried. I use to share my lunch, pack an extra lunch and one day the older gentleman told me that his blankets were stolen. The next day I brought a blanket to work and handed it to him. You would of thought he won the lottery. After that he would always tell his friends I was the lady that made him warm. Sometimes the little things we do can make a difference in someone else's life.