Being Grateful

Something amazing has just happened to me. I have been feeling really shit lately. Too many reasons to go into here, but as I sink deeper into the pit, everything starts to become a struggle. I was walking down the street this morning and was stopped by a man. He looked untidy. Probably homeless I thought. I stopped expecting him to ask me for money. Instead he asked me how I was.

“You bought me lunch in the park,” he reminded me when I looked a little blankly at him. I remembered. It was probably about two months ago. Maybe more. He looked different. Better. He told me how he had been detoxing in hospital. That he was getting his life sorted. Who knows if that was true but he did look well. His eyes clear. His skin a healthy colour. He asked me again how I was and I smiled. Really smiled. For what felt like the first time in a long time.

“Good” was my reply.

“Well you’re smiling,” he said, “and you gotta smile. Because what else is there?”

And now I am sat in Costa drinking a coffee and writing this. I have a million other things I should be doing but I had to stop and take stock of this moment. Because what else is there?