Help One Another Do What You Love

The day before Christmas homeless Robert approached me in a parking lot and asked if he could wash my windows. I had cash on me and my windows were filthy. I asked him where he was staying. Under the bridge. How did he stay warm? It was cold. I told him I’d bring him a care package the next day. The next day was pouring rain, not great for washing windows and he didn’t show when we agreed. I inquired around, drove around but didn’t locate him. I’d made him a Christmas bag with clothes, toiletries, food, a pillow, sleeping-bag, I wanted to make his Christmas. I ended up giving the sleeping bag to another couple. New Year’s day I decided to put the bag in my car. I saw Val with her dog and a sign on the side of the road. Told her Robert hadn’t showed. She said if she saw him she’d be happy to share. And said wow wow wow, a toothbrush, pillow, socks, a towel, seaweed snacks her favorite, she was very grateful. I asked her how she got here and what was her plan? She had hopped trains from New York to California 

...to escape Seasonal Disorder, no one could pay here to spend another winter on the East Coast she said. Rent was too steep at her apartment so she was living in her car with her dog “Dirty Boy”. Who was nice and very protective of her. She said her future was bright, she was trying to decide between taking a job she would hate and doing what she loved: cooking. I suggested her first goal might be getting off the street, but she said she’d be embarrassed after having worked herself up to sous-chef to take a job as a dishwasher. The best I could do was suggest if she wanted things to change to do something different than what she had done so far. We hugged. Later I thought who am I to know what is right for her, or discourage her from going after what she loves? And I asked myself how much do I love what I do? I absolutely love singing, writing, songs, performing, music. And many things. As some of you may be aware I also recently started working as a brand partner for Nerium International. I love too many things to list here about that company but I asked myself how much do I love what I do for them? And without realizing it meeting Val and helping her, if even for a day, led me to find out on an even deeper level why I love my work with Nerium: I get to help people feel better about themselves, and through our opportunity I get to help them do what they love, whatever that is. I’m looking forward to 2016 as an opportunity to help more people. Which has always been a part of who I am. What do you think would happen if we all helped each other a little more? 

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