01/28/2026
Last night, I fed a woman who was eating out of a dumpster.
I noticed her standing there as I walked out of a restaurant, my leftovers still warm in my hands.
I didn’t debate what was appropriate. I simply walked over and handed them to her.
The real gift I gave her wasn’t the rice and meat I planned to eat the next day.
It was that I was willing to look her in the eye without judgment.
No words were exchanged at all.
Pretty sure we didn’t even speak the same language.
We just nodded at each other, two women the same.
Only I had more.
While our circumstances were different, we were the same.
My word of the year is engage.
One never knows how opportunities to engage will show up ..
As critical thinkers, we are excellent at solving problems, fixing and even assuming.
Overthinking sometimes becomes the thing that keeps us from engaging.
This moment required none of that.
No story about how she got there. No fixing. Just presence.
There was no debate in my head about homelessness or if this situation was her fault.
We are all closer to the edge than we like to believe.
One event. One loss. One misstep.
Truthfully, it was a bit uncomfortable for me …
I thought about how much more uncomfortable it was for her!
I watched another couple stare through her, pick up a crate near her and just move on, still chatting casually.
I wanted to do more, but she quickly moved into the shadows …
We are all wealthier than we appreciate.
We need to be reminded not to take that for granted.
If you have more, materially or otherwise, the invitation is simple.
Engage with the same compassion you would want to receive.
(AI depiction below)
