Singing in the Rain

In Halifax, it was cold rainy all of Saturday, people were running around trying to get inside as quickly as possible. I was running around just like everyone else trying to get to the bus stop before the bus got there. I ran passed Tim, he was playing beautiful music as if the weather didn't phase him. I stopped and listened. He sang softly and smiled at everyone who passed, though not many smiled back. I dropped a couple loonies into his guitar case and waited until the song finished.
"That was wonderful." I told him.
He thanked me. I asked him how he could play in this cold wet weather all day.
"I've got a baby girl on the way." He told me.
"I've been coming out here every day come rain or shine, to save up enough money for my little girl."
"How long until she arrives?"
"She's expected around February 14th, valentines day."
I dropped five more dollars into his case.
He thanked me and said "God bless you." and continued singing in the rain.

Homeless for a day

A friend of mine told me a story about a time around a month ago when she and a good friend of hers  (both living in the Toronto area) decided to live and sleep on the streets one night. They wanted to see what it was like sleeping in the cold and being without money to buy essential things. Most of their friends thought the idea was stupid since they could just go home into a warm bed instead but she desperately wanted to see what it was like on the other side of things. Though they wouldn't come close to feeling what it's really like being homeless or starving, they sure did get an idea. 

They sat with a group of people, some coming from India and all sorts of places, there were some very old people and some only a few years older than them all huddled under one sheltered alleyway.

"I've never met sweeter people in my life." She told me. 

Though they slept on the cold wet Toronto streets each night they seemed so grateful for what they did have, which was eachother. Near by, there was a tent with music playing and they were invited to come along, it was opened to the public. They danced and talked until four in the morning and soon needed to find somewhere to sleep, an older woman showed them to a heated vent which was surrounded by four other people covered by newspaper to keep warm. They huddled up with the kind hearted people they had met just earlier that night and when they awoke the next morning, everyone was gone. "It seemed unreal, and it opened my eyes to the fact that I have so much, I have nice clothes, a home, a phone and a good education while others have nothing, I regret being unable to thank the people for their kindness, if I ever see them again I will wish them well and remember the beautiful night we spent learning about the meaning of life." 

Free Hugs

A few days ago I was in downtown Halifax having dinner with some friends, on our way back home I came across Stefan, a young man just out of high school looking to make enough money for food, he didn't have a job and was unable to make it into college or university, I didn't have much time to talk to Stefan but he told us he had been standing there all day, it was pouring rain and we had passed by him twice that afternoon, he said he wasn't having much luck that day so we all decided to pitch in some money for him to get a bite to eat, he thanked us, I gave him a great big hug and we went our separate ways, as we crossed the street I turned around and saw Stefan walking into the sandwich shop on the corner.