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Dec. 7th, 2008 03:31 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
spiderweb66.livejournal.comI was over joyed when I saw the soft white flakes of snow flutter to the ground this evening. Tonight was the first snowfall of the season, and for weeks I've been excitedly anticipating all that would come with the cold and snow. I love sweaters and blankets, hot chocolate and eggnog. And most of all I love having snowball fights and then curling up next to the one I love. But tonight's fist snow, I know, is not being celebrated by many. There are many people, millions, who fall between the cracks and become homeless. And tonight I know they are suffering.
As I sit here enjoying the warmth of my house, I think about the woman that I met tonight and I wonder what her life has been like. The emotion I saw on her face could only be described as agony and desperation. Wearing only sweatpants, a jacket, socks, and flipflops, I know she must have been freezing. How could she not be? Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked me to give her money. After seeing me hesitate, she backed away from me a few feet. It was then that I realized that we as a nation have failed. For how we treat the least powerful in our society is a direct reflection of how civilized we really are. When so many the world has turned its head on those in need, especially when they are in our backyards, I believe it is fair to say that the world is a pretty awful place. This is a difficult time for eveyone, I know, but the shelters are crowded, so beds are scarce, and that makes the lives of the homeless nearly impossible. So often I hear people complain about their lives, I too am guilty of this, and it is sad to think that it would take a time like this to realize just how lucky I truely am. This holiday season I urge everyone to reach out to those in need, to give them something, anything. Soup kitchens almost always need help and old coats are always appreciated. And please, if you happen to see a homeless person, remember that they are people and should be treated as such.
As I sit here enjoying the warmth of my house, I think about the woman that I met tonight and I wonder what her life has been like. The emotion I saw on her face could only be described as agony and desperation. Wearing only sweatpants, a jacket, socks, and flipflops, I know she must have been freezing. How could she not be? Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked me to give her money. After seeing me hesitate, she backed away from me a few feet. It was then that I realized that we as a nation have failed. For how we treat the least powerful in our society is a direct reflection of how civilized we really are. When so many the world has turned its head on those in need, especially when they are in our backyards, I believe it is fair to say that the world is a pretty awful place. This is a difficult time for eveyone, I know, but the shelters are crowded, so beds are scarce, and that makes the lives of the homeless nearly impossible. So often I hear people complain about their lives, I too am guilty of this, and it is sad to think that it would take a time like this to realize just how lucky I truely am. This holiday season I urge everyone to reach out to those in need, to give them something, anything. Soup kitchens almost always need help and old coats are always appreciated. And please, if you happen to see a homeless person, remember that they are people and should be treated as such.
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