Home for Christmas

At Christmas time, I am always far more aware of the people who don’t have anywhere to go, or anyone to share Christmas with. As I walk to work every morning down the bright, bustling streets of Toronto, I always feel a little bit guilty as the same homeless gentleman wishes me a good day. And I keep on walking. Every morning this week, he has stood there with a smile on his face and told me to have a nice day. Every morning, he is filled with joy and life and warmth that I rarely see in people who are well-employed, with families, and fulfilling lives. And every morning, I walk right past him without much more than a smile and a nod.

It reminds of a moment last week when I was walking downtown to run some errands; specifically, I was picking my ticket to go home for Christmas. As I was walking, there was a young homeless man sitting on the sidewalk with a sign that said something about helping him to get home to Saskatoon to spend Christmas with his family. I couldn’t help but talk to him. I realized I didn’t have any money, but I did have a $5 gift card for a nearby coffee shop that had been given to me. I gave him the card and told him that it wouldn’t help him get home, but it would get him some lunch, at least. And as I walked away, I realized that I didn’t feel any better. In fact, I felt worse that I couldn’t help someone, anyone, more significantly. That all I could do was pass on a silly gift card that I hadn’t even paid for! It makes me wonder how much of our social and economic situation is self-made and how much of it is luck. This year, more than ever, I feel blessed that I have a ticket in my pocket to take me home for the holidays, I have a job that I love, and friends that have stuck by me. I feel so grateful and so fulfilled that I have been blessed with this life and that my stars have, thankfully, continued to align in my favour. I wish all of you the same good fortune, the same happiness, and that you will also extend some of this to others over the holidays. And on a side note, I don’t think I’ll keep on walking the next time that gentleman wishes me a good day. I think, perhaps, I’ll at least return the warm wishes.