Day 72 ❦ Give Simply, Embrace Someone With Your Care Today

Day 72 ❦ Give Simply, Embrace Someone With Your Care Today

THE GIFT: A much needed meal, a hug and friendship

Not sure what it is that the food theme is presenting itself a lot in this phase of the 100 Days of Giving...maybe it is because it is such a visceral reaction for me to want to feed people, food represents comfort, or food is a reflex for me to want to give. I know in my head that there is a lot of research about the importance of people sharing food together, the increases in connection, decreases in social isolation, not to mention the importance of the regularity of taking time to spend time eating together - my head responds to feeding people from a scientific viewpoint. My heart on the other hand, just wants to open up a roadside diner with picnic tables that hold hundreds and just serve up the food to anyone who needs to or wants to enjoy time together over a meal. Okay, not just a meal, but food, appetizers, desserts, buffets - if it is food, I want two or more to gather and enjoy.

I was still thinking about my friends from yesterday when I noticed at the side of the road another friend of mine who had a flat tire, or at least it looked like he had a flat tire (it turns out that he had slow leaks in all four of the tires in his truck) and was waiting
for another friend with a compressor to come and help him get to the gas station where he planned to engage in his twice daily tire fill-up. I had heard that he was struggling with some things in his life and so while I was not surprised to see the disheveled shape he was in, I was startled and found myself tearing up when I spotted him by the side of the road.

I had to keep my wits about me while I pulled over and jumped out to give him a huge hug - we were on a busy street and having me hit by a passing car wouldn't be helpful at all! After I ascertained that help was on the way, I asked him if we could go sit in a nearby café and get some coffee while we waited. Thankfully he agreed.

Once inside, the smell of pancakes and coffee hit both of us like a brick wall and I ordered the “big-rigger” for both of us. Thankfully he let me do so. We enjoyed a great catch-up, laughing, dreaming and sharing our ideas, opinions and thoughts and the time flew by. After finishing our food, conversation and buckets of coffee I excused myself and quietly paid. Thankfully he did not protest and let me do what I was meant to do that day. As we left the diner, he gave me a huge hug, we walked back to his truck where his friend was filling his tires, and I followed him to the gas station to make sure he got there.

A couple of days later, I found a note left on my back door from my friend expressing his gratitude for the meal, the care and the friendship - in it he shared some very personal things, and without violating his confidence, he shared that it was possible that the interaction that we had may have saved his life. Knowing that people cared about him meant more than I could have possibly imagined to him. Such a simple gift and I was the one who gained the most. Who ever knows what the impact will be of an embrace of a gift? Who will you impact today?

❦ Give Simply, Embrace Someone With Your Care Today