A long-y but a good-y

Disclaimer: This is a longer post than normal and there are very few pictures but I think its a pretty good read. I hope you enjoy this Random Act Of Kindness story.

I remember this post where the scared mommy was stuck out of her car. I need to start this one the same way.

I told you all that it was real life kindness. Nothing preplanned.

 It was one of those situations that presents itself and you can either

do it or not.

One of those character defining moments.

An act that sends you out of your comfort zone to help another human being.

 The kind where you can either act or not.

Last night.. I acted and am so very glad I did.

Just about every weekend I am at Mr. B's house.

Lately we have been doing some work on his beautiful house that used to be his Grandmothers. It has great potential but needs a little T.L.C.

It is no secret that I love coffee so in order to help with the work on the house I needed to get that lovely liquid flowing in my body.

There is a Starbucks right up the street from the house so I drive my half asleep, hot mess of a self the half mile up to get my vanilla soy iced coffee. As of late there has been a very nice girl sitting outside when I get there.

The first time I noticed her she just looked like she was waiting for someone. She looked clean, freshly showered and her hair was combed.
 I never would have guessed that she was homeless.
As I walked in she smiled at me and said good morning and told me to have a nice day as I left. Things like that really have an impact on me and it put an extra little pep in my step that day. I went about my business and went back to my day to day not really thinking about her again until a few weeks had passed and I made the same weekend trip and saw her outside again. This time though she looked as if she had maybe had a rough month. She looked tired and as if she hadn't taken a shower since I saw her last. I do not ever carry cash so when she asked me if I had some money to spare it broke my heart to have to tell her I didn't. However, when I ordered my coffee I ordered an extra venti hot chocolate to give to her on my way out. It was a cold morning so I wanted to at least give her something warm to drink. I handed it to her and went back home.

After that encounter I had that girl on my mind every time I went to get coffee.

Awhile ago I saw this on pinterest .

{photo cred}

I even made a few of my own. I had every intention of going to downtown phoenix to hand them out to the homeless folks that live there.

i ordered some inexpensive toiletries online and filled baggies with them and some crackers, fruit snacks a granola bar and a water bottle. I really didn't want to go by myself because i am shamefully scared of the homeless. I was going to go this weekend and decided against it so I put the "blessing bags" in a basket in the backseat of my car.

I am now very glad that I did that. I went to Starbucks yesterday morning, the first day of the new year, since Mr. B wanted to work on the front yard and I needed my fuel. I was on the lookout for the girl outside but she was nowhere to be found. I got my coffee and left.

When I got back to his house I went to check and email and my laptop wouldn't turn on. I remembered that it had fallen off the chair it was on the night before. I was all kinds of disappointed.
I went running shortly after that and accidentally ran the wrong day on my 5k app.
I have had bad allergies all day that gave me a headache so after the hustle bustle of what was a seemingly mediocre day at best I decided that i wanted to get some hot tea and lay in bed the rest of the night. I grumbled to my car and drove the same drive to Starbucks that seemed like an eternity. As I was pulling in I saw her.

She was sitting on the ground. Staring into space. shivering.

As I got out of my car I grabbed one of the blessing bags in the backseat.

My mind turned off from the negative things that had happened to me that day and turned to her.

My heart broke as I looked in my wallet to see I had no cash again.

As I walked closer I gathered up all the courage I could muster and knelt down to her.

With the kindest voice I could use at the time I asked if I could get her something warm to drink.

I went inside and ordered my hot tea and her drink and came back outside to give it to her. I knelt down to this PERSON with a very heavy heart in my chest. I told her to have a safe evening and placed the blessing bag next to her and handed her the coffee. She looked at me with such appreciation in her eyes as she accepted the drink and said thank you to the stranger that stopped to talk to her.

I was humbled as I got into my car to head back to the warm house and lay in bed with a loving boyfriend there to take care of me.

I am glad I was able to step out of my comfort zone to help her in the smallest of ways. In her story I am hopefully a sign of positivity and for that I am grateful.

I will close this by saying I had a number on my 50 in 555 list that was to

8. Preform a homeless RAOK

and I think I can cross it off but, I will continue to try and bring some light to an otherwise dim situation for the many folks that are living without a home.

In the post I referenced above, I encouraged you all to just be nice to people.

People are people and they all deserve a smile at some point.

XOXO,

-C