On Saturday morning | stopped at Giant for coffee. As l was getting my coffee a young man walked up and said hello. He appeared about 18  20 years old, wearing a hoodie and backpack. One of the cashiers yelled out, “Sir, wash your cup before you use it over there! He said, I know, | know…| may be homeless but l’m not stupid”. He had brought his own cup to get hot water. l wanted to find out more about him before | would decide to give him this gift. He was from Florida and came to New Mexico with his Mom. She ran off with a ‘drunken pothead’ to live in Alaska and he was not going to leave Albuquerque to go and live in a cabin with them in Alaska.

He said “l’m doing the best | can” when | asked how he was getting along. l paid for my coffee, went to the car and waited for him to come outside. He didn’t come out right away so l went back in. He was still at the coffee station on the floor smoothing some of his things and neatly packing them back into his backpack. | offered him my envelope. He took it, thanked me then put it away. l asked if he would please open it. He first looked at the dollar bill as though it was fake until l said, “lt’s real.” He stood up, had tears in his eyes and hugged me. He kept quietly saying “God bless you, God bless you, thank you, thank you,… ”

l explained that the company l work for gave each of us an envelope to give to someone that needed it more than ourselves and l thought l’d found the right moment to give this gift. He said, “l’m so glad you chose me.”

It was a good feeling to give someone something so unexpected, but much appreciated and needed. | know that he won’t forget what happened that day and how it made him feel and neither will l.

Edna