In Her Eyes

Last week at work, I saw two elderly women walk into my store. 

I noticed one of the ladies was holding on to the arm of the lady 

walking beside her. In my head, I was thinking she just needed 

some extra physical support to maybe steady herself while 

she was walking.

 I approached them and asked if there was anything

 I could help them with. They asked if I carried any 

decorative balls, and I said yes. I took them over to 

the table filled with displays of brightly colored balls.

 I heard one of the ladies say to the one who was 

holding on to her arm, "Explain what your room 

looks like, and then this lady can describe what

 the balls look like."

 In that moment I realized, the other lady was blind. 

For the next 30 minutes all three of us stood there, 

picking out decorations for her home. She would 

explain what her living room looked like, and then

 I would describe the colors, and details of each item.

She would gently hold and touch each one, and
with each item her eyes and lips would smile.

 She didn't explain how she lost her vision. She just said, 

"I'm so excited! This is going to look beautiful in my home." 

In the opening scene of the movie Gone Baby Gone, 

there is a narration, and it says this:

When I was young, I asked my priest how you could 
get to heaven and still protect yourself from all the evil 
in the world. He told me what God said to his children, 

"You are sheep among wolves, be wise

 as serpents, yet innocent as doves." 

I was lucky to have spent those 30 minutes with her.

For Lotte, thinking of you. 

(All photos courtesy of: flickr, and weheartit)

Taxi

After reading this story today,

 I very much wanted to share it with all of you. 

By: A New York City Taxi Driver 

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Through Sophie's Eyes

This is Sophie Amelia. 

She is so funny, (her mother tells me stories about
 her that make me roll with laughter!)

witty, and... kindhearted.

Sophie's father works at a homeless shelter and
she loves to go with him. At Christmas, one of the
presents Sophie received was a gift card. Do you
 know what she said? She said she wanted to take it
to the homeless shelter because she knew there were
people there who needed it. 

I love who this little girl is. 

(Photos courtesy of: Tina Lamm) 

La Belle et la Bête (Beauty & the Beast)

Beauty and the Beast is one of my most favorite fairy tales.

Once upon a time

There lived a girl named Belle, for she was lovely and pure of heart...

In that land there also lived a hideous Beast...

For several months Belle lived at the Beast's palace...

...By the time Belle found the Beast he was almost dead. She weeped over him, whispering that she loved him. When her tears struck him, the Beast was transformed.

(Photos courtesy of: weheartit.com, google image)