A Lesson In Giving From An Unexpected Teacher

November 21, 2009

Today I experienced something spectacular. Zoe, our 2 boys and I went downtown to the Pearl Street Mall and parked ourselves in front of a beautiful shop called Peppercorn so that Maximo (11) and Oliver (8) could play their cello and violin to the public. They're home-schooled and part of our curriculum for them in life is to play their instruments out in public every now and then... and hopefully earn a little money in the process. It was already a wonderful night with holiday buzz in the air. People were window shopping, kids were playing in the rock garden next to us and a Holiday concert was being set up in the next block. The mood, of course, was accented by all of the smiling faces as folks passed by our 2 children playing their music - including some holiday songs. And, happily, they did earn a few bucks.

After about an hour of their playing, we told them to play one more before we packed up to go home. The holiday concert was starting and was beginning to drown the sounds of my boys' strings anyway. That's when I saw him.

Well, first... I used to work in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street. On my lunches I would see a man in a wheelchair with a cup in his hand. But this wasn't any ordinary "beggar", if you will. This man needs all the help he can get. He cannot work. I'm not sure if he can even speak. I can't imagine what he's been through - whether he's a war veteran, or was in a fire or was born with his limitations, but I do know that seeing his state has made me sad many, many times. He appears to be very damaged.

He happened to have helped me at odd times. Times when I was down. I've been downtown on days when I felt so depressed from not having found a job and wondered how I would support my family. I've seen him at times when I thought I had no talent or skills. But for the grace... I have my legs. I have my mind. I have abilities to do many things.

So, as a moral teaching to my kids to appreciate their lives and all that they have, I've at times given them some money to put inside his cup - wishing that I had had someone encourage that of me when I was a kid. Again, not knowing what this guy's "story" is, I was never sure if he was even conscious of my children's gestures. It didn't matter, but still I wondered.

Well, today at 5:05 he appeared in front of Peppercorn on the Pearl Street Mall. I had just told them to play a last song and was now talking to my youngest son. When I saw the man, I told my son that he should give the man something out of what he just earned in his violin case. "Just a quarter even". I didn't want to take too much away from what they just earned. Oliver agreed. Then I stepped back and witnessed what will always be considered one of the most truly amazing moments in my life. My son reached down and got his quarter. As he did so, I watched as the man approached through the crowd. I was certain that the man was about to ask my son for money. I had this warm feeling knowing that my son is about to do the right thing. Oliver straightens up and starts to give the man his quarter, and then... huh?

The man in his wheelchair, who cannot walk, who cannot work, who cannot God-knows-what-else... gives my boy a dollar. He smiles, looks at me, smiles again and rolls away. And I could see that his giving my son a dollar lit up his own heart.

There's a Univeral teaching that says to give is to receive. This man demonstrated this to it's fullest.