A message from a good friend of mine on FB that both broke my heart and made me think.

[Maraya1969]

47. I hear people say they don't want to give money to a drug addict or alcoholic

so they just pass them by. And that makes sense to a point. But these people do eat and they need other things and besides any of that the miracle to me is the gift of giving itself.

A lot of things are running around in my head right now and I certainly know I don't know everything or even a little bit of anything but it just occurred to me that maybe giving smaller amounts to more people might be a good thing because just acknowledging that a homeless person is a person helps I heard people who have been homeless say they feel invisible. Like other people don't look at them or acknowledge them, (and that is understandable because it is a hard situation for the other person too)

Or maybe if we just all made a pact to look each homeless person we see in the eye and smile at them and let them know we SEE them.

I used to run around doing errands and would keep my head down, not really feeling like I wanted to bother with anyone. Now I make it a point to smile at as many people as I can when I am out. And I try to give a compliment to someone because I know I feel good when someone gives me a compliment.

And I notice now that those errand days are much happier. ( Also, sending people good wishes all day long will do wonders for your own feelings of contentment)