Haiku

A Ceiling of Stars

A chance encounter with a man experiencing homelessness amplified my gratitude for my life today.

Please don’t look away. My gaze is never pity. I have compassion.

Please share your struggles. My heart is heavy with yours. I have time for you.

Life is brutal. My ceiling has not been stars. I pray you find a home.

One afternoon while waiting for my son to finish his coding class at the library, an uncomfortable sight startled me. I noticed a man that was about six foot seven, and the police kept following him wherever he went in the library.

The man came and sat across from me, but he kept avoiding my gaze for several minutes. Then, he asked me if I would talk with him so that he could feel normal. My heart sank because ‘normal’ is just a setting on the washing machine, but I knew what he meant.

I asked him to share his story with me. My follow up question involved how I could be of assistance to him. He indicated that he needed something to eat. After a quick trip to the vending machine, I presented him with some snacks along with a drink.

His eyes fell away from me again and he would not look at me directly as he accepted the food. My request to him was simple, don’t look away and do not feel ashamed for receiving help.

I told him that ten years ago, I lost my home because an unexpected illness left me financially devastated. If it were not for my family, the stars would have been my ceiling too.

The look on his face said so much! He could not believe that I had ever faced experiencing homelessness. There’s a saying that my mom used to use all the time. I thought about her words when I talked to Terry.

There but by the grace of God go I.

Remembering that at any given time I am eligible to experience hardships helps me to appreciate the good times of my life today. A lot has changed about my life in the past ten years. I recently moved into the place I used to drive by and long for in my dreams.

My health is restored and I am gainfully employed today. Please take a moment to read about some of the struggles of people experiencing homelessness in Austin, Texas. Governments should help people, not demonize them! This article details the efforts to eradicate the presence of people experiencing homelessness in Austin.

I am asking that we stop calling people homeless. The non-profit organization I work with taught me to refer to these individuals as people experiencing homelessness. If you want to make a difference in the lives of people like Terry, please consider donating to backonmyfeet.org.

“Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.”

― Shirley Chisholm

Thank you for reading about the experience that powers my attitude of gratitude!

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