Random Acts...

This particular post has nothing to do with anything except some random acts that have transpired over the course of the week that lifted my spirits significantly.  It's still cold in New York, and winter has not let up - it's the middle of March and we are still getting what seems like weekly snow storms. Mike was in Texas last week for SXSW and spent some time in Austin on a little "dad-chelor party" with the boys.  So I'll preface this all by reminding you that I was probably sleep deprived, I'm almost 6 months pregnant, I was missing my husband, and I was cold...so these little things were probably more emotional to this pregnant lady.

Last week, I stopped by a coffee shop on my way to work to grab a (decaf...sigh) latte before heading in to the office.  After living in New York and working in Herald Square for almost five years, I rarely stop in my tracks to notice a homeless person.  In fact, I distinctly remember it being one of my biggest complaints about living in the city.  But I stopped in my tracks when I left the coffee shop and saw a man sitting on the sidewalk with a puppy.  A tiny white, pitbull puppy, who was violently shivering from the cold.  I felt terrible for the man, who was also cold, but I'll admit, it was the puppy that got me, and I handed him a bill and made him "promise to get that puppy a sweatshirt", before heading off to work.

The memory of that cold little pup stayed in my mind for the rest of the day.  I worried about them being cold, I was mad at the man for having a puppy when he couldn't even support himself, and I was stressed that I had given him money to potentially support a terrible habit that had made him homeless in the first place. So I was absolutely STUNNED when I woke up on the weekend and bundled up to run my errands and grab a smoothie - only to see my new friends, the bum & his adorable puppy, right outside my apartment!  There are at least 20 blocks between my office and my apartment - it was pouring rain, and they were sitting under the scaffolding to keep dry.  It was a sign. I walked passed them and went on my way to grab my smoothie - but couldn't help notice that they were both cold.  And I was a little miffed that he didn't use the money I gave him the day before, and was worried that my fears were true.  He was using this puppy to get money - and used every monetary donation for himself.  So I marched myself back out there, smoothie in hand and reminded him of the promise I made him give me before I handed him a bill the day before.  I lightly scolded him, but couldn't say no to that puppy face - and threw a few more quarters into his little cup before going on my way.

If you look REAL closely, you can see....
that puppy has a sweatshirt on!

The weekend continued, I proceeded to share my internal battle and the story of this pup with everyone I encountered over the next few days.  I was so resentful of this man for having a puppy when he didn't have the means - it was so selfish of him.  But then I went to work on Monday - and he was back in front of my work coffee shop on Monday.  And guess what???  THAT PUPPY HAD A SWEATSHIRT ON!  That puppy was warm, and he was licking his homeless man's face off! It warmed my heart to see that my money went to a good cause and that little pup had a cozy gray sweatshirt to keep him from shivering through the remaining days of winter.  Maybe that man shouldn't have a dog, I'm not sure why he was homeless, and I'm not sure what kind of life that puppy would have had if that man didn't take him in as a tiny companion.  I'm also not sure that this guy REALLY IS homeless!  I know nothing about them, other than the fact that they love each other to pieces, and he bought a sweatshirt after my light scolding and my monetary donation. You never know when a little extra care (and maybe some money) could make you, and a little puppy feel all warm inside and out!