March 15, 2025
Dear Jessica,
Today, Jensen and I saw a homeless lady on the street, by our school.
Luke snickered and called her a "troll".
But when I saw that lady, sitting there like a freak on display for a bunch of elementary schoolers, I thought about what you would do.
You wouldn’t laugh.
You’d notice the small things first: the way her shoulders hunched like she was trying to fold into herself, the chapped line of her lips, the cardboard sign that wobbled a little whenever a bus blew past. You’d look at her like she was a person, not a joke, not a warning, not a story someone tells to scare kids into doing their homework. But you're not here.
I wanted to do that.
Jensen kept walking at first, like this was just another part of the sidewalk we had to pass. Luke stayed a few steps behind us with his friends, still whispering and cracking up, like the sound of their own voices could keep them safe from ever ending up like her.
So, the next day, before I met Jensen at the front of the school, I went to the bakery and bought a loaf of bread. So when I got to "that street", as Luke calls it, I tapped the lady with the faded, tattered sweater, and gave her the bread.
I could tell that she was really happy. I know that you'd be happy, too.
-Teagain
ns216.73.217.110da2
and then Add to home screen.