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Suerte y Sin Suerte: La Limosna
San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mx
“Live simply so others may simply live.”
― Mother Teresa |
Yesterday was an extraordinary day, it was the culmination of very stressful and arduous week. My week included trying to close on my father's house (in Florida) while trying to catch a standby flight to El Paso and then crossover into Juarez all on the heels of an ice storm (not something I would recommend). At last moment, my first standby cancelled and my chances of catching the second were diminished; the clock was working also against me.
Then it happened, the phone call I dreaded, "Mr. Hernandez we don't have the original Power of Attorney document to close on the deal". There was not one more drop that could be added to my cup it was full. Everything that I could have possibly done was already done. All I could think of was that the document had the attorney's address and they could call him. Fortunately, the realtor decided to call my niece who was also her friend to check to see if my sister had the original document. The only hitch was that my sister was also on a flight home. Fortunately, my sister arrived home in time to turn around and drive two hours from Jacksonville to Orlando and deliver the document in time.
The day had already turned into a year and still I was on the ground at DFW. Finally made the second standby flight to El Paso and caught a cab and crossed over to Juarez where I caught my flight to Chihuahua. Rested up that evening with two banderas (a drink of three separate jiggers of lime, sangrita, and white tequila, representing the colors of the Mexican flag.) I felt very patriotic by the evening's end.
On Friday, when I finally rested up in the afternoon back home at Starbucks. I met a man very much down on his luck and nearly crippled with arthritis. He gave me the typical homeless pitch about needing money for gas…and that he was stuck in Keller. Had come down from Tulsa and was on his way just outside of Weatherford. For whatever reason, I didn't care if it was true or not.
"Where is your truck? I asked. He pointed at a beat up Nissan pickup. "How many gallons does it take? "I quizzed. "It takes 15 gallons." He replied.
For a moment I thought how foolish it would be to give money. That it would be best to take him to the gas station myself and fill up the tank. Then I thought, it really didn't matter this could be me. Yes it could go for drugs or booze, but either way this man was human and down on his luck. I thought about the past three years of my own joblessness reached into my pocket and gave him $40 bucks. "Go get gas, go get gas."
The man thanked and promised to pay it forward. He barely could walk to this truck and fell and needed someone else's help before he got into his truck and drove off. Don't know if he really needed gas money and perhaps will never know. All I know is that I am grateful to all of you for being there for me these past three years. 'Tis the season of faith and charity. Practice both please.
