Inheritence

In the 1970s, my grandparents moved from Southern California to Concord. My grandpa worked at the Wells Fargo on Montgomery Street and took BART to work every day. I love the fact that forty years later, I sit on the same train, exit at the same station, and walk by that very same Wells Fargo (though I do not love the thought that I'm sitting on the same seats).

This weekend, my grandma was telling me about how my grandpa befriended the homeless people on his commute. He would always make time to say hello and talk to the regulars. If you ever had the pleasure of meeting my grandpa, you could just imagine him standing there, his hands clasped behind his back, smiling that slightly crooked smile that made his left eye squint a bit (I inherited that squint). There is no doubt in my mind that they looked forward to seeing him every day.

He befriended one lady in particular who hung out at the Montgomery Station. Apparently, she asked him if he could loan her twenty five dollars (not just spare change!) one day and he gladly did (be honest, would you?). She absolutely paid him back and gave him a letter thanking him for his kindness and generosity. My grandma still has that letter - I can't wait to read it.

Upon hearing this story, i instantly realized that was where my mom "got it." My mom is sweet and friendly with everyone. There's no such thing as a quick trip to the grocery store, because everyone, from the butcher to the bagger, knows her and wants to stop and chat. Same goes for a walk around the block - which she does with her hands clasped behind her back (makes my heart smile). She has always had a soft spot for the homeless, too. I remember she would see the man on the corner on the way into the store and she would come out with not only a sandwhich from the deli but a whole hot meal and give it to him. One time, she was visiting me in SLO. There was a sad, sad man who was a quadruple amputee. He had a chair that had a device rigged up so he could smoke cigars from a stand. He broke her heart and she gave what she thought was two fives to him. She later realized it was two twenties! She wasn't upset though - she laughed about it.

Right now, I'm not in the financial situation to be generous with money with every homeless person I encounter. I am, however, in a situation to be generous in spirit. I'm going to take a page from the family book and smile, converse, and make eye contact with the regulars on my commute.