I don\u2019t share their I typically don\u2019t share a But today \u2013 today I feel I Because she is real.\u00a0 <\/span>She is sick.\u00a0 My neighbor and yours \u2013 no She is our neighbor<\/u> I went outside to hang a I turned around and \u201cWhen I walked by the Fear shot through me.\u00a0 <\/span>Was she dead?\u00a0 We both kept our distance Yes.\u00a0 <\/span>Marshmallows.\u00a0 The pile of fabric She was alive.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI need to go see if it is She was standing, coat \u201cHey, would you like a cup \u201cNo, no.\u00a0 <\/span>But hey, do you have any hot chocolate??\u00a0 <\/span>I have been wanting hot chocolate\u2026\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n Of course!\u00a0 <\/span>The marshmallows.\u00a0 <\/span>She had been sitting eating the marshmallows, I ran home and quickly I put the steaming cup of At first she said yes, but \u201cI have crackers.\u00a0 <\/span>Anything else you need?\u00a0 <\/span>What size shoes do you wear?\u201d I asked, I collected 3 hoodies She was still I laid the clothing choices What a reminder that we We went through the food and \u201cAre you working with Path \u201cAhhh, forward\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s a good way to go\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>Forward\u2026.\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n We all want to help.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But sometimes there is And that is a hard fact to No amount of marshmallows \u201cHey, what\u2019s your name?\u201d I I repeated it as much to She is still there.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s been an hour, and she is still Only now, she has a new And in her belly, hot chocolate Maybe some crackers.<\/span><\/p>\n Maybe some applesauce\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n We all need the same We need food.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Love.<\/span><\/p>\n Someone to care.<\/span><\/p>\n Community.<\/span><\/p>\n Warmth.<\/span><\/p>\n Safety.<\/span><\/p>\n And for someone to know
\nnames.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Never share their names.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\ngender.\u00a0 <\/span>Because really, why does gender
\nmatter anyway? And also, out of respect.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Nothing that might make you, the reader, identify the person in the story.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmust share the gender.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>And she is our neighbor<\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmatter where you live.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ncoat up in Project Warmth, the winter program where we put out cold weather
\ngear for passersby in need to take.\u00a0 <\/span>I heard
\nthe siren of an ambulance or fire truck, wasn\u2019t sure which.\u00a0 <\/span>I didn\u2019t pay much attention \u2013 emergency vehicles
\npass our busy home often.\u00a0 <\/span>It wasn\u2019t until
\nI walked around the corner and saw a man walking his dog that I took notice.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI called them,\u201d he said.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nrealized that the ambulance had stopped right across the street.\u00a0 <\/span>And I saw a fabric puddle of orange, black on
\nbrown on the sidewalk, with 2 EMTs standing over it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nfirst time, she was sitting up, eating something,\u201d the man with the dog told
\nme.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBut now, now lying down\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>I am not sure\u2026\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>Just lying there on the sidewalk, right across from our house,
\ndead?\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nout of respect and concern.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI bet she
\ngot the food here at the pantry,\u201d I told him.\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t know, she had marshmallows or something\u2026\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>I had put a bag of mini marshmallows in the pantry last night right
\nbefore bed.\u00a0 <\/span>It was a special treat, and I
\nimagined whoever found it would be happy.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmoved.\u00a0 <\/span>The person sat up.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nsomeone I know,\u201d I told the man.\u00a0 <\/span>As I crossed,
\nI heard an EMT tell her, \u201cYou can\u2019t lay here.\u00a0
\n<\/span>People will worry.\u00a0 <\/span>They will think it is a medical emergency and keep
\ncalling 911.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nhood on her head, dirty sleeping bag wrapped around.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But she was standing.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nof coffee?\u201d I asked as I got close enough.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmaybe dreaming of hot chocolate to go with them.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmade a hot chocolate.\u00a0 <\/span>I squirted some
\nwhipped cream on it and rushed back outside hoping she was still there to get
\nit.\u00a0 <\/span>She was there, but the ambulance had
\nleft.\u00a0 <\/span>Left her alone.\u00a0 <\/span>Alone, as I am sure she usually is.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ncocoa on a fence post, using it as a table.\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cHere, it\u2019s really hot, so be careful.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Would you like some soup?\u00a0 <\/span>I could
\nbring you some.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nwhen I asked if she ate meat or not, she changed her mind.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou know, I really don\u2019t eat much.\u00a0 <\/span>Maybe just some crackers\u2026\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nlooking down at her slippers with non-slip hospital socks wedged in them to try
\nand make them fit.\u00a0 <\/span>She told me she was a
\nsize 6 to 6.5, and also asked for a black hoodie, black sweatpants, and black
\nsocks.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI am not sure what I have, but I
\nwill bring some things,\u201d I told her and came back home to look through the Project
\nWarmth donations.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n(none all black, but all warm), some leggings (not sweatpants, but black), some
\nblack long underwear pants, very warm winter socks, and the only adult boots I had
\n\u2013 size 10.\u00a0 <\/span>I also made a basket of food
\nchoices \u2013 2 kinds of crackers, granola bar, precooked pasta and precooked
\nmeatballs, homemade banana muffin (thank you kind neighbor for making those),
\nfruit cup, applesauce cup, Go Go Squeezes, Goldfish crackers, raisins, protein
\nshake, Gatorade, juice\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>I tried to put
\nin choices that someone who \u201cdoesn\u2019t eat much\u201d might be tempted by, knowing
\nthat she must eat.\u00a0 <\/span>I grabbed a new bag
\nthat zips and went back to the corner.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nstanding.\u00a0 <\/span>Pacing. \u00a0<\/span>She was obviously using, and whatever she was
\non made her have both energy (to pace) and mellowness (to lie down).\u00a0 <\/span>She had a scratch on her nose and chapped
\nlips, but other than that no obvious injuries.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nout on the fence for her to see.\u00a0 <\/span>She picked
\n2 hoodies and the thermal pants.\u00a0 <\/span>She took
\nthe socks and the hat.\u00a0 <\/span>I held up the
\nboots and explained they were too big, but they were all I had.\u00a0 <\/span>As we talked, a woman in an SUV pulled up to
\nthe red light and rolled down her window.\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cWhat size shoes does she need??\u201d she asked, having quickly accessed the
\nsituation.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cA size 7.\u00a0 <\/span>But all I have is a 10\u2026\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>She sighed.\u00a0
\n<\/span>\u201cI have a 9\u2026\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>I thanked her and
\nshe drove off.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nall want to help.\u00a0 <\/span>All of us.\u00a0 <\/span>Every last one.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\ndrink choices and she took a few.\u00a0 <\/span>I packed
\nthem into the new bag with the clothes and zipped it all up.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nForward?\u201d I asked.\u00a0 <\/span>Path Forward is the
\nlocal organization that works tirelessly to assist people on the streets.\u00a0 <\/span>They provide food, housing, and work to get
\npeople re-homed.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nNOTHING, absolutely nothing we can do.<\/span><\/p>\n
\naccept.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nor crackers or sweatpants or boots can make this situation better.\u00a0 <\/span>She is sick.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Has an addiction.\u00a0 <\/span>She is ill.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nasked before I left.\u00a0 <\/span>She told me.\u00a0 <\/span>I told her mine.\u00a0 <\/span>And I repeated hers out loud.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nhelp me try and remember it and I did for her to HEAR IT being spoken.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthere.\u00a0 <\/span>I can see her from our
\nporch.\u00a0 <\/span>She is sitting \u2013 I am sure on the
\nsame soggy cardboard I saw up close.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nwarm hoodie pulled up on her head.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nand whipped cream.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthings, every one of us.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nour name.<\/span><\/p>\n
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