Thanks for sharing your essay Meredith. There are reasons to be cautious with anyone you don't know, yet people are more likely to think the worst of someone who appears in need. Even in the safety of the nursing home environment, it's difficult to stop and talk to the woman in the wheelchair trying to grab your arm while yelling "Help me!" because she's always there, always saying the same thing, and there doesn't seem to be anything you can really do for her and it's painful to hear her and see her.

Yet, my cousin always stops and holds her hand and says something like, "Hi Violet. What's wrong? Can I get you something? No, I can't take you home, and I can see that makes you sad. But I can stay with you for awhile." and so he does and then he visits my mom (which he does almost everyday).

By the way, this cousin was once arrested for drug dealing and spent some time in prison. He has hepatitis, which destroyed his liver and he had a liver transplant many years ago. He's sick and in pain a lot but is always willing to help others in any way he can.

God works in mysterious ways...