A while back, I noticed a woman slowly walking while holding two bags filled with groceries walking around the LSU lakes. I would have simply passed by without taking notice to this person, one of the many people present at the lakes, until she proceeded to collapse to the ground and sob. The tears fell violently down her face as she hung her head between her knees and cupped her head in her hands. I felt immediate sympathy for her intense sorrow. Why was she crying? Was she ok? She surely looked normal. What caused her to be so sad?
I will never know because I kept running. I passed her by without a kind smile, a gentle word, or a simple "Are you ok?"
I often think about this woman and wonder if I could have made a difference in her life. To me, she represents missed opportunities. How could I have helped her, or made her life just a little bit better in her time of need? As a direct result of this incident, I started praying for her and anyone else I had subconsciously chosen to ignore. She would often pop into my thoughts, quietly reminding me to be attentive to others needs. She taught me that other people can hide their pain, and that I may never know what they go through. MAN. Who do I know that needs my love and attention now? Who have I unintentionally harmed or simply overlooked!?!?
She also taught me to value each individual person. Before I saw her cry, I viewed all of the people at the lakes that day as just another random person. I did not know any of them personally, and I had no connections with them whatsoever.
Yet, in reality our simple humanity connects us, and every single person holds a certain value that others might forget about or refuse to take notice of. Needless to say, she reminded me.
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