I saw something I liked today

Today I saw something I liked. As I have traveled around the world it is very common to see children on the street selling something or begging. It is also very common to see those same children treated rudely or ignored. I know that they suffer every kind of abuse imagineable as they scrape together a living, sometimes under the pressure of an adult who takes advantage of them. By necessity, I have to say no to the vast majority of their requests to buy something or to let them shine my shoes, but I always try to be kind in the way I say no. Many times my kindness means that they persist much longer than if I were rude, but I cannot bring myself to send them away rudely or just ignore them. Several times on this trip I have purchased trinkets or had my shoes shined. I guess I have a yes face.

Today I seated myself on a window ledge outside of a store while those I was walking with were inside. It was a beautiful clear day and people were everywhere. I watched them come and go. Across the street from where I was seated there was an upscale panaderia, or bakery. The folks who entered this bakery wore the uniform of the well to do. I was not paying any particular attention to the panaderia until I heard someone whistle the type of whistle used to get someones attention. I looked for the source of the whistle and saw a man in white, wearing a bakers hat emerge from a side door. He was whistling at a couple of boys, maybe 10 or 12 years ole. The boys stopped and looked at the man. I saw him hand the boys a couple of baked items, bread of some sort. One boy took the bread, and handed a piece to his friend. The man disappeared back into the door, the boys began to eat the bread and the whole episode was over in much less time than it took to tell it.

A smile crossed my face as I watched that simple act of kindness. I thanked God that I had the opportunity to sit on a window ledge in Cuzco, Peru and observe grace in action. Tears ran down my cheeks as I reflected on what I saw. They are welling up again while I type.