Humanity

We were only a block away from my house when I seen a small, fragile woman digging through a dumpster.

My daughter and I were driving around passing out food sacks. It's part of what we do for our community and humanitarian work at Rocky Mountain Center,

I drove over to her and gave her the last two sacks I had left and handed her my coat.

I told her, stay here and I'll be right back.

Growing up, I was good in school and sports, but I always tested the boundaries, and then I would step over them. I kept a pretty tough exterior and often ignored others advice.

I didn't need help from anyone. I thought

at first I broke the rules, and eventually it all caught up to me.

I remember the day of my sentencing. When will I grow up? I have a 10 month old baby girl. Now get your act together.

I built up enough courage to tell Honorable Judge Lovato I was truly sorry for my mistakes, and I wanted to change. This was not the real me.

I faced a jail sentence and additional time on house arrest. I told the judge I wanted to get that done right away so I could move on. He agreed to the plea.

He also told me he wanted me back in his courtroom in one month to see my progress.

One month later, I reported back, told him I was employed.

He told me to report back again in another month,

I went in and I told him I was promoted to a teacher's assistant and enrolled in early childhood classes in college.

From then on, I understood goals have to be measurable,

this person, this man, this human being, cared he held me accountable and showed me he believed in me when it was hard to believe in myself.

When I got back to the dumpster, the woman was there waiting. I brought her all I could from my house, things she needed much more than what I did,

hot water for Cocoa, clothing, food

she had the thermos of hot water to her cold face.

It was a treat to have all that at one time, she said with a smile.

We ended up talking for over an hour, mostly about men wanting her only for her body, losing her kids, not having her bathroom to use the city, bulldozing their campsites. There was obvious mental health issues from living on the streets,

but she just needed a friend at that moment,

someone who could see past her problems to her humanity.

I knew what that was like you.