Do you have a nickel?

I should be taking my quiz for my foundations class right now but I thought about this really beautiful moment I witnessed on the subway this morning, of all places.

I was sitting on the subway on my way to my internship, no one was talking and I was looking straight ahead to avoid all eye contact from all passengers when I heard her voice. "Do you have a nickel?" "Sir? Can I have a nickel?" She had on a purple dress and bedroom slippers that used to be pink but were now brown from the wear and tear of the streets. The dress was lose and missing buttons, so her stomach was uncomfortably exposed for everyone to see. She was, to say the least, down on her luck.

But it was a nickel. Five cents. Pocket change, and yet I kept looking forward averting the glares of the people around me. But we were on a subway, a moving lock box with no escape. There was no where to run or hide and moving or ignoring the only person talking would be rude, right? But I know what everyone was thinking. How rude of her to ask me for a nickel, to bother my "me" time on the train. The calm before the busy day at work. All these thoughts were going through my head when I heard another a voice, a smaller voice.

The young boy, about 7 years old, sitting across from me simply said, "oh, I've got a nickel" The innocence of the child and the selfless giving of someone who has not been ruined by the world. He wrestled to get into hi tight jeans for a while, he was no doubt going through a growth spurt and they no longer fit him. He asked his mom to hold his juice box while he reached in and grabbed the nickel from his pocket. He gave it to the woman and sat down, continuing to drink his juice box.

I was stunned. I had just witnessed one of the most beautiful pictures of love and non judgment I had ever seen. I was moved and judging from the fact that now everyone's gaze was no longer ahead, but instead on this young boy, I could tell others were moved too.

What a good reminder of grace and love.