// Scenarios//

Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears from my face.

Today, someone else’s tragedy provided the miracle my family had prayed for. Thanks to this stranger, my dad will have a heart. It’s odd to think that an accidental death just saved his life.

Today in downtown San Diego, I watched a blue collar Mexican man get harassed for being Mexican. It was a blatant act of discrimination. As he left the office building crying, he took off his jacket. His t-shirt underneath said “I love the USA!”

Today, after telling my grandmother that I didn’t want to risk making such a huge mistake, she replied, ” looking back at it all, I wish I had the courage to make those mistakes at your age.”

Today, my blind friend gave me a vivid description of how beautiful his new girlfriend is.

Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn’t eaten anything in three days and looked extremely unhealthy and skinny. My friend offered the man the rest of his sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”

Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said,”On 9.11.2001 you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”

Today, I was stopped at a traffic light when a mid-aged homeless woman asked me for change. I usually don’t give out dollars to the homeless because I assume they are going to go buy booze. But I saw her 45 minutes later at 7/11 buying bread and peanut butter. She was so happy to see me.

Today at the Atlanta airport, as I walked off a plane dressed in my Army uniform, a little girl grabbed my hand and asked me if I would be going back overseas soon. I told her I would be in 6 weeks. She smiled and said, “Can you please tell my daddy that I love him? My mommy says he’s never coming home.”

Today, as soon as my little brother came into my room, I yelled at him to get out without even looking up at him. When he didn’t listen and I turned around to yell again, I noticed he had a bowl of cherries (my favorite) in his hands. He said, “I just wanted to share these with you.”

Beautiful.