Defg926
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June 26th 2012 Dylan and I were following a friend back to her house so we could borrow some hiking gear for my big Mt. Whitney hike this weekend. We were sitting behind my friends car at a stop light when a homeless man walked by us. I rolled down my window and gave the man all the change I had in my center console. The man thanked me and I said "God bless" and I rolled my window back up. From the backseat Dylan asks me "Daddy why did you give that man all your change" So I explained that the man was homeless and that he undeniably needed the money more than us. Dylan then asked "Then how come you don't always give them money" So I told him because I don't always have spare change, but when I do I tend to give it to the homeless. Then he asks "Well how come our friend in front of us didn't give any money" So again I explained that maybe she didn't have any spare change to give. I didn't want to get into the whole "Some people don't give money because they think the homeless will use it to buy liquor, or because they feel the homeless are lazy and just wont get a job" aspect. To me it really doesn't matter what the person uses the money for, either way they needed it more than I did.
So later that night the three of us are out getting frozen yogurt and as we walk out of the store I realize the shorts I am wearing don't have any pockets so like I normally do I gave my change to Dylan. It was only a nickle but he likes having money in his pockets, either its the sound or the fact he has some coin but either way he likes it. We are now walking down to the Starbucks so my friend can get her caffeine fix and as we pass the grocery store a homeless man in a wheel chair asks me if I have any change to spare. I respond with "No I am sorry I don't" and keep on walking. We get maybe 5 paces from the man when Dylan tugs on my hand and asks "Daddy is it okay if I give him the nickle you gave me" I tell him by all means if that is what he wants to do with his nickle to go right ahead. Dylan walks over to the man and says "Here you go" and hands him his nickle. The homeless man smiles and says "Thank you, whats your name" Dylan responds and then the man sticks his hand out and says "Well I am Johnny and God Bless you, you're quite the wonderful boy" They shake hands and Dylan walks away..
After that my friend goes in to the coffee house while Dylan and I hang outside. When she returns she gives Dylan a dollar. We have to pass the man again on our way back to the car and on the way Dylan stops and gives his dollar to the same man. As he does the man says "Stop you're going to make me cry", Then says "God Bless good families like yours" I have never been more proud of Dylan. The nickle was cute... But to a six year old a dollar is a lot of money. Its candy, or a toy, or something from the .99 cent store, even 4 things from a quarter machine. To see him be so selfless and caring really made me tear up. He thought nothing of himself and simply took three steps and was hanging and playing on a wall after that. But to me it showed me how important it is to answer all of his little inquiries with thought and purpose. To try to be more careful with how I portray myself in front of him. He is so impressionable and I need to do all I can to show this very loving, caring boy the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, what it means to stand for things that morally and ethically are right even when others or the world in general think it might be wrong or not important or relevant.
For those of you out there wondering.....Yes as soon as he got off the wall I made him wash his hands with the sanitary soap dispenser that they have right in front of the grocery store. And as my curious son always does he asked me why? I told him "Because you where climbing on the wall and touching things that have germs" I didn't feel the need to tell him about homeless people being unclean and not able to wash regularly. I felt it would tarnish or take away from his act of kindness. No matter what your opinions are of giving homeless money, or germs, or myself and how I act or raise my son, I say take a day out of your life and see the world through the eyes of a child. He didn't over think things he didn't analyze all the do's and don'ts, he just did a act of kindness. He did it without hesitation with out me provoking it. He didn't care the man was homeless, or might use it for drugs or alcohol, he just saw someone less fortunate and saw he had the means to help. He shook the mans hand without reservation. That physical act meant the world to that homeless man, you could see it in his eyes and hear it in his words. Who knows the last time that mans hand has touched another person.
I'm not sure who in the group benefited more from this whole interaction. Dylan for learning to be kind and help others less fortunate, The homeless man for receiving money and a act of kindness and physical intimacy, or me for seeing that I need to be more aware of my actions when I have my son with me and how I answer all one million of his daily questions!
God Bless, and take time out of your busy life to realize how blessed we all truly are!
www.defg926.com
So later that night the three of us are out getting frozen yogurt and as we walk out of the store I realize the shorts I am wearing don't have any pockets so like I normally do I gave my change to Dylan. It was only a nickle but he likes having money in his pockets, either its the sound or the fact he has some coin but either way he likes it. We are now walking down to the Starbucks so my friend can get her caffeine fix and as we pass the grocery store a homeless man in a wheel chair asks me if I have any change to spare. I respond with "No I am sorry I don't" and keep on walking. We get maybe 5 paces from the man when Dylan tugs on my hand and asks "Daddy is it okay if I give him the nickle you gave me" I tell him by all means if that is what he wants to do with his nickle to go right ahead. Dylan walks over to the man and says "Here you go" and hands him his nickle. The homeless man smiles and says "Thank you, whats your name" Dylan responds and then the man sticks his hand out and says "Well I am Johnny and God Bless you, you're quite the wonderful boy" They shake hands and Dylan walks away..
After that my friend goes in to the coffee house while Dylan and I hang outside. When she returns she gives Dylan a dollar. We have to pass the man again on our way back to the car and on the way Dylan stops and gives his dollar to the same man. As he does the man says "Stop you're going to make me cry", Then says "God Bless good families like yours" I have never been more proud of Dylan. The nickle was cute... But to a six year old a dollar is a lot of money. Its candy, or a toy, or something from the .99 cent store, even 4 things from a quarter machine. To see him be so selfless and caring really made me tear up. He thought nothing of himself and simply took three steps and was hanging and playing on a wall after that. But to me it showed me how important it is to answer all of his little inquiries with thought and purpose. To try to be more careful with how I portray myself in front of him. He is so impressionable and I need to do all I can to show this very loving, caring boy the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, what it means to stand for things that morally and ethically are right even when others or the world in general think it might be wrong or not important or relevant.
For those of you out there wondering.....Yes as soon as he got off the wall I made him wash his hands with the sanitary soap dispenser that they have right in front of the grocery store. And as my curious son always does he asked me why? I told him "Because you where climbing on the wall and touching things that have germs" I didn't feel the need to tell him about homeless people being unclean and not able to wash regularly. I felt it would tarnish or take away from his act of kindness. No matter what your opinions are of giving homeless money, or germs, or myself and how I act or raise my son, I say take a day out of your life and see the world through the eyes of a child. He didn't over think things he didn't analyze all the do's and don'ts, he just did a act of kindness. He did it without hesitation with out me provoking it. He didn't care the man was homeless, or might use it for drugs or alcohol, he just saw someone less fortunate and saw he had the means to help. He shook the mans hand without reservation. That physical act meant the world to that homeless man, you could see it in his eyes and hear it in his words. Who knows the last time that mans hand has touched another person.
I'm not sure who in the group benefited more from this whole interaction. Dylan for learning to be kind and help others less fortunate, The homeless man for receiving money and a act of kindness and physical intimacy, or me for seeing that I need to be more aware of my actions when I have my son with me and how I answer all one million of his daily questions!
God Bless, and take time out of your busy life to realize how blessed we all truly are!
www.defg926.com
