The girls and me were walking through Downtown Vancouver this afternoon having just had a delicious lunch with my Lovely Husband and brought some new clothes in the Gap sale.
We walked past a young man sat at the side of the street with a cap in front of him and a sign asking for money. I read the sign but walked on having listened to all the charities telling us not to give money to beggars as it might be spent on alcohol or drugs.
But 10 metres down the road the Big One asked me to stop. She turned around and looked back at the man.
“Mummy, that boy had a sign. It said he was saving money so he could visit his family for his birthday tomorrow. I have been away from my family on my birthday and it wasn’t very nice. We should help him.”
She was right. Life is simpler for children, there is only right and wrong, no shades of grey. Walking past that boy in need of help was wrong. I sent the girls back with some money and they were rewarded by an incredibly warm smile from the boy.
As a Mummy I am always very proud of the girls but I do feel extra proud that they can appreciate all they have and still empathise with the suffering of others in a sometimes difficult world.
