I feel like I’m in a hurry most of the time. Heading to a photo shoot, editing said images, organizing orders, planning a marketing campaign, figuring out what’s for dinner, making sure my family has clean underwear, do the chickens have enough water, kid chauffeur, walking my lovey dog Ruby… There’s a lot to take care of!  I have been making an effort to try and slow down and be more aware. Aware of where I am, who I’m with,  and to truly focus on the people and places I should. It’s not easy, but it’s a habit I hope to cultivate. Because things happen when you open your eyes a little wider…

I was driving home a few weeks ago, stopped at a red light preparing to turn from 4th Ave onto Capitol Boulevard, when I noticed a man struggling in the street. It appeared he had fallen off the sidewalk and into an empty parking space quite close to the road. He was loaded down with a backpack and may have been intoxicated, but he was struggling, and he was all alone. It was nearly 4:30 pm and there were lots of cars and pedestrians around. I was amazed that no one close by was offering help. I pulled my car over, dashed across four lanes of traffic and held out my hand to him. He looked up at me, smiled a smile almost full of teeth, and reached for my hand. I lifted him up, and though he winced as pain shot up his injured ankle, he was still smiling. As my hand slipped into his, I was struck by how soft and warm and clean and real his hand was. We talked for a few minutes, I made sure he was fine and on his way and smiled once more into his deep brown eyes. I dashed back across the street, blinking back tears, and slipped into my car. Here was a man, overlooked by so many, with warm, clean, hands. A man who, at one time, was someone’s loved child (I hoped). And a man who needed to remember how to be gentle with himself. To treat his warm, soft hands and his body, with tenderness and care. It broke my heart and I found myself sobbing on my drive home. And I made a promise to myself to be gentle. And as I cried, I also hoped for a future where others would remember to be gentle as well…