He was cold and badly crippled as he leaned over his wheelchair, dirty hand jutting out a sign.
Feeling horrible, with not even an apple to share, I lowered the window of my heated car.
“What do you need?”
It was a sincere question, and his answer humbled me to my core.
“Honestly…socks and underwear.”
Me: “Do you wear boxers?”
His brown eyes soft, “Yes, waist size 32”.
It was such a raw human moment. Something about him knowing his waist size shook me.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I vowed as the light turned green.
“I’ll try to be here, but it’s really hard to get this corner spot…” His voice was overpowered by an impatient honk behind me.
I sped to our spot the next morning with two bundles of wool socks, fleece pants, and a pack of boxers…Size 32.
Disappointed to see a different beggar on the corner, I called from my window, “I have a pair of warm socks”.
The ragged man hopped over. His whole face lit up as I gifted the thick socks.
“That works,” he grinned at me.
The next two weeks, while I looked each day for my friend (saving his bag protectively on my passenger seat), I handed out wool socks to weary souls.
FINALLY, today I spotted his disabled frame in my review mirror as I turned on the freeway. Too late to turn around, I rushed to the next exit and circled back.
A clear mission before me, I ditched my car and ran to catch up with a man determined to push his wheelchair forward with his one working foot.
“Excuse me!!” I yelled out, but the frantic traffic swallowed my words.
I continued to sprint until I was able to stand in front of him.
His eyes wide with shock, me puffing for breath, I struggled to explain.
“We met…a couple weeks ago…and you mentioned you needed socks and underwear.”
The man’s eyes lit up with recognition.
“Hi, I’m Joy,” I offered.
“I’m Allen.”
“Well anyways, I’ve been searching for you because I bought you this…”
I plunked the plastic bag in his lap, and Allen stared in bewilderment at the items he had wished for.
Finally, he looked at me. Light flooded his face and with a raspy voice he whispered, “Merry Christmas!”
This season may our homes be filled with crackling fires and hopeful hearts, and may we share a bit of our bounty with a shivering soul on the corner.