Ciara is on her usual trip to the store when she runs into a homeless man, which interrupts her. She finds the man who had been waiting for her the next day, ready to make a confession.
Recently, my life has been like a Hallmark movie.
There are four of my kids, and their ages run from four to eight. When my husband Bruce is working as an engineer, I am a part-time school teacher. The life we live at home is simple but full of satisfying things.
For the most part, I can guess what will happen in my life. I also take care of the kids and our house, and I drive to and from work every day. Even so, yesterday was a nice change from the normal routine.
As I went to the grocery store as normal, with my shopping list in hand, my mind was already thinking about the math I had to do every day to run the house. I took a few sips of my coffee because I was eager for the caffeine to start going through my body.
When I saw him, he was a poor man standing outside the store, looking longingly at the food inside. I looked at him for a moment, and the way he talked about being hungry hit me like a punch in the gut. I was about to walk up to him when I realized what was going on. I felt something deep inside me hit me.
Please forgive me, sir. Do you want to eat? With the goal of being as nice as possible, I asked.
His response was simple, but it made a big difference.
His voice sounded tired, but there was a hint of hope in it. “Much more than you think,” he said.
This man needed to be cheered up today more than anything. If I looked at him from one angle, he made me think of my grandfather. My grandfather had been through a lot, but it didn’t make his eyes any colder.
He was invited to go food shopping by me on the spur of the moment.
His answer was, “Miss, I don’t have any money.” “No worries.”
Everything’s on me… I told her, “Hello, my name is Ciara.”
It sent a chill down my spine to see his eyes fill with thanks and blessings as he told me he was thankful. The thing I did seemed so simple to me, but it meant a lot to him.
It was him who said, “My name is Martin.”
At the market, the man added the basic things I needed to my cart, which was already full of healthy fruits and veggies that my kids loved.
Honestly, he asked, “Tell me about your kids.”
I told him everything there was to know about the twins, like how they suddenly fell in love with football even though they were still skinny boys who hadn’t built up anything. I told him about Emily, the youngest member of my family, who loved nothing more than popping bubbles and sucking on candy that her boys would blow for her.
Finally, I told him the story of my oldest daughter, Jemma, who read books that were way too advanced for her age when she was eight.
He added, “They all sound lovely,” as he helped me put the things in brown paper bags. “You’re a magnificent mom.”
Now I’m back at the store because I gave the man both milk boxes, which meant the kids didn’t have cereal for breakfast.
Martin stood at the door of the shop again, the same place he had been the day before.
But he was very different from them. He had a certain air of respect about him, and he was dressed in a military outfit. When compared to the sad figure from the day before, he was a great example of happiness.
“There you are,” he said, as if he had been waiting for me the whole time.
“What the heck happened?” I made a move toward his clothes as I asked…
It was a smiley face. “I’m here to buy you some milk.” It was yesterday that you gave them to me.
My thought was, “How?”
“This isn’t the same man you met the day before. Thanks to your kindness, I was able to get back a part of my life that I thought was lost for good.
While we were sitting on a bench, Martin’s story began to come together. Martin had been in the service and was having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. He felt like no one cared about him anymore. He said that my kindness made him feel something and reminded him that kindness and sympathy were still in the world.
After I drove off, he went to the Veterans Affairs Office to get help because that was what drove him.
He was right when he said, “I’ve avoided the place for months.” “I think the thought of being back in such a dangerous field was too much for me to handle, even though I would never be sent out at my age.”
When Martin got there, he was welcomed with open arms and quickly put into a program that would meet his basic needs.
I want to work together with men who come back in the future. “The Office is testing a new program in which these men get the help they need from counseling before going home to help them get used to their new surroundings.”
I was shocked when I realized I had contributed even a small amount to Martin’s recovery. Before we went our separate ways, he gave me a fresh carton of milk and a deep word about something.
“Just promise yourself, Ciara, that you will keep being kind.” You don’t understand how strong it is. Ensure your kids see it too.
Realizing that Martin is safe and cared for makes me feel very excited. He will be able to sleep well and have food available. There was nothing better that could have happened.