It’s amazing what happens....

It’s amazing what happens when your aware of your surroundings……My belly was a little unsettled yesterday, Wednesday’s are my busiest day‘s, so to have a unsettled belly….Not Good. After my third class I stopped to have some tea and do some journal writing, I sat and wrote for 90 min without ever putting down the pen!! I guess that was what my soul needed. As I packed up my belongings and headed out into bright, sunny warm Chicago streets I noticed my belly was feeling a bit better. I was a half mile away from my building and slowed my pace down to take in the sun, people, and smells around me…..I love the smells that linger in the Chicago air as the temps rise, the smell of many different foods, mixed in with the railroad toxins, and the rank odor from the alleys, folks use as their rest room……Yeah, that’s that city smell.




I walked along taking all of this in, and my attention became fixed on this elderly Asian couple that was about a block ahead of me. I noticed they looked lost, so as I caught up with them I stopped to ask if they were….YES, the man said…..They were too cute, he looked to be in his early 70’s and she late 60’s, they both were obviously tired of walking around to no where, there was a slight language barrier, but I find out they’re trying to get to Millennium Park, and was looking for the bus to get there. This was there third time around the block each time either getting wrong directions or interpreting the directions wrong, I decide, to walk them where they needed to be. There was something about this fragile looking man that touched my heart, he was walking slow, with a slight hunch in his back. He wore a brace on his right leg from the knee down…..we began to walk….they were frazzled being so lost and kept expressing that to me. I assured them I would get them to the bus stop, to get his mind off being lost, I asked about his leg brace. He slowed down his pace a little more and looked at me and said he was a Vietnam war Veteran and had been exposed to Agent Orange…..He has Cancer…..



Our pace slowed down even more, his wife continued to walk slightly ahead of us, you could tell she was relieved that they were now headed in the right direction, and I watched her stroll ahead soaking up the sun, looking at peace. I thanked this veteran for protecting us ( I always thank our troops ), he stopped in his tracks, cane in right hand, his left hand reached out for my right…..He held on to my hand and said thank you, then went on to say that I (me) was a veteran too…..”we all were at war, it was my job to serve and protect the country…we are all veterans of that time” He said. We began to walk again, his wife had continued on and was now walking along gazing up at the sun, soaking it all in….I smiled inside. He went on to tell me about his large family of ten siblings and how everyone else was healthy, he had been the only Veteran and the only one with any type of cancer…I could feel his sadness and pain, he talked about how he felt as though the country let the veterans down and how once these wars come to a end the veterans are all but forgotten, while the entertainment folks are treated like royalty……..We continued to walk in silence, I was absorbing all this veteran was saying, his pace was S L O W…..He said “ I don’t want to hold you up," I turned to him and said “no worries” .



Truth is I was headed home to nap before my last class, I was strolling along taking in the beauty of the day, they were part of the beauty and I was enjoying the conversation….we walked on, his wife glancing back to make sure she had not walked to far ahead, and smiling at me. As we approached the bus stop, they both asked me several times for exact directions, I could tell they were still uneasy, I walk to the bus with them and informed the driver of their destination….They gave me a hug and boarded the bus…..



Walking that last block to my building I had several emotions flowing within. I was not feeling well two hours before this encounter, I took sometime out to stop sit and write, ridding myself of whatever had my belly annoyed, that gave me peace and my awareness was up. My increased awareness allowed me to notice this lost, tired, elderly couple…A couple who would tell me a story, a couple who touched my heart, a couple who I felt honored to spend 15 minutes with, a couple I’ll probably never see again……No names were exchanged, just a lovely walk with a adorable couple, which ended with a thank you and a tight hug………I took one final glance back at the bus a smile took over my face......and my belly………was it really ever upset!?!





I know my increased conscious awareness afforded me this wonderful interaction with this couple. Last night I thought about them as I prepared for bed, I wondered if they enjoyed their time at Millennium Park. Then I realized, I gave a gift today, without effort, without planning, but by being AWARE!



Today I began my 29 day’s of gift giving…..I’m excited!





Peace & Peeps