Tears for André...

The start of my work day will never be the same. André, a homeless man who sat in the same spot every day, passed away of a massive heart attack while I was away on vacation. I didn't really know André, but I was still touched by his cheerful spirit and mischievous grin. He always had a greeting for me as I walked by. If I wasn't smiling, he'd ask me where my smile was. If I was smiling, he'd smile back and offer the encouraging thought that Friday was just around the corner.

I attended a memorial in his honour today, near a park where he'd often sleep. There were easily over a hundred people there: members of his family from the street, as well as downtown residents and office workers. People were invited to come forward to share their favourite "André stories". One woman reminisced about a time when she was going through a particularly difficult time. André and his friends passed the hat and gathered enough money to buy her a cup of coffee... :-) Over and over again, we heard how people were touched by his smile, good humour and gentle teasing. Tears were flowing freely, staining both suits & silk blouses, and dirty jeans & scruffy shirts.

One of the great joys of attending this memorial was reconnecting with my friend John. I hadn't seen him for months - and he didn't hesitate to remind me of that fact! Since moving to a new office in the fall of 2006, I don't walk by his corner anymore. In reconnecting with him today, I realized how much I miss seeing him regularly. So I'm making a commitment to myself to make a slight detour once a week so that I can bring him back into my life. As I left the gathering, he said: Love you! I responded with an unexpected and spontaneous: Love you too, John! Funny thing is, I meant it - my heart was overflowing with Love for all those around me.

As I was heading back to the office, I sighed a heavy sigh, looked at the woman beside me and said: How's that for perspective? She patted my arm and wiped a tear from her eye. We chatted a bit until it was time for each of us to go our own way. We stopped, exchanged our first names and bid each other a good day. Then, quite spontaneously, we took each other's hand and gave a loving squeeze. We were two complete strangers, brought together in a moment of shared appreciation for Life and for Love. Thanks André.

Pace e bene,