Compassion Spoke When No Words Could… with Crumpled Man on Sidewalk

Compassion speaks in moments when there are no words. Walking on a sidewalk in L.A. on a side street, I saw a large mass of something crumpled a block ahead. As I neared the crumpled location, I saw it was a very old man. He was filthy, lying on the sidewalk with his meager belongings next to him and eyes half closed, just staring at the sidewalk. He looked like life’s circumstances and choices had beaten him to a pulp.

Compassion poured out of my heart like a river’s waterfalls plummeting into the destination of his heart. There were no words. My hand extended itself with a little money, placing it on his hand. He stopped sidewalk staring and looked up into my eyes. I smiled sweetly as my heart continued its stream of compassion. And then his eyes changed. His lips tried to smile on his worn out face. But it was his eyes that were able to light up the tiniest spark of a smile.

I stopped in my tracks and engaged in the exchange. Absolutely no words would come to mind sufficient enough to make a dent in any way. The communication was peak. I felt the connection, as did he.

I knew this morning greeting was special, like the sun rising on the horizon, bringing light for a new day. I nodded my head in acknowledgment of our exchange and continued walking, feeling a full heart. In the midst of all my fortunate gala birthday L.A. experiences, I also felt fortunate to have this unknown crumpled man’s connection and openness. He was not begging. He had given up. Life is precious. No judgment. Gratitude, compassion, humility and unconditional love are allies for a really good inner world life that, hopefully, spills out into the world. ‪#‎earthisheaven‬@67