It was a normal day. It had rained a little and the temperature had dropped a little. So Cassie Fisher walked into a fast food restaurant to get a cup of coffee to warm up a bit. The woman looked out the window, lost in her own thoughts when she noticed a homeless man looking for coins on the floor. Soon the man entered the restaurant who was wearing old and dirty clothes. He entered the restaurant slowly and stood in the doorway, counting the coins.
He managed to collect it that morning. The customers quickly noticed the man and began whispering. Among themselves in pointing at him, Cassie looked at the man as well, but she didn’t look at him with contempt. She just studied his facial features. Cassie thought the man’s eyes were full of pain and sadness.
Cassie quickly realized that the man probably didn’t have enough money to buy food, so she called out to him. It was important to note that Cassie always had a different opinion about homeless people, that she was never dismissive, felt compassion, and gave a change whenever she had the opportunity. Are you hungry? How do you feel? Cassie asked a beggar, the young woman not only asked if the man was OK, she also offered him a sandwich and coffee.
The man was surprised and took a step back. He seemed surprised by the questions. People didn’t talk to him often. He probably would have left the restaurant hungry after the man received his order. Cassie spoke to him again and offered to join her since she was alone at the table. Of course, the young woman’s request surprised a homeless man most of the time. People usually avoided him, but not in this case. She offered him food and even a place for him to sit.
The man thought for a second but took Cassie up on it. He approached shyly because he didn’t know what to expect. But the young woman assured him that everything was fine and that he had nothing to fear. She just wanted to give him something to eat and talk to him a little. So they began a conversation. Perhaps Cassie was too intrusive with her questions, but the man didn’t mind and told her almost everything about himself. She discovered that the homeless man’s name was Chris. He told the young woman how he ended up living on the streets.
Chris began his story by telling Cassie that he never had a functional family. His father liked to drink and rarely paid attention to him except when he beat him or his mother, which happened quite often. Chris ran away from home because he couldn’t take any more physical and emotional abuse. But life on the street turned out not to be the best. The other homeless people were not kind to him. They took his food and bullied him.
Chris didn’t want to be homeless. He wanted to get out of the situation he was in, but doors were close to him everywhere he tried to get a job for several years but was turned down every time the employer discovered he was homeless. Desperation and disappointment led him to drugs. Not one person was willing to help him, but he definitely would have accepted any health if it had been offered. Everyone avoided and ignored him.
He would love to have a job, but no one was willing to give him a chance. On top of all that, he was also saddened by the loss of his most loyal friend. A dog named Joy. She died a few days ago. He was always the one who supported him and kept him company during the long cold nights on the street. Throughout his life, Chris someday hoped to return to normal life and become a person his mother would be proud of, but unfortunately, that may not happen. He recalled that shortly after.
He ran away from home. His mother passed away from that point on. He really felt that he had no one to trust. It’s also important to note that Chris seemed very intelligent. He spoke and reasoned like a well-educated and mature adult. The man was extremely sad that this is how his life ended. At some point, he just went on with the flow. Cassie listened to his story without interrupting Chris, but inside she was experiencing a whirlwind of emotions and could barely hold back the tears. She wanted to be supported by Chris’ story, but not offend him with her pity.
Chris talked and talked that day, he brought out his whole soul. Cassie and Chris talked for an hour. The conversation could have lasted longer, but Cassie had to leave. Cassie remembers that when she got up to leave, Chris asked her to wait a little longer and went to the counter, asked for paper and pen, and he wrote something down. He then walked over to Cassie and handed her the note. After delivering the note, Chris thanked the young woman for the meal and apologized for taking up so much of her time.
The meeting between these two ended after Chris left the restaurant, Cassie picked up the note to see what was written on it. When she unfolded a piece of paper, she couldn’t believe what was inside. Note I was going to kill myself today, but thanks to you I won’t anymore. Thank you. You are a very beautiful person. Cassie did not control her emotions and tears fell from her eyes. What’s the value of human life? It’s not the cost of a sandwich or an hour of your free time.
Cassie was able to do so much for this stranger and so little time it seems like a serious conversation is a trivial matter, but it’s likely that without it, Chris would not be alive. A little simple human interaction with greater empathy helped a homeless person understand that there are good people in the world. It gave him strength and encouraged him to fight through the obstacles. Life presented him. Perhaps he might even be able to. Part of your life.
After meeting the homeless man, Cassie posted the touching story on her social media. She posted because she wanted to inspire other young people to act with kindness. She wrote that she hasn’t seen Chris since that encounter and hoped that she has started a new life. This seemingly simple story is very inspiring. The world is full of all kinds of people. Some are rich, some are poor, and some even live on a bench in the park. But you should never judge a book by its cover.
Each of us has a unique story that determines our life. Not everyone is destined to live well. For some. It’s nothing more than working spending nights in front of the TV and eating a good meal are mundane things. For others, it’s something they can only dream of. This story shows us a small act of compassion. And not only change the person’s day but change their whole story, change their whole life. Remember this and act with kindness every day.