03 Nov The Guy with the Beard
There’s a heartwarming children’s book by Ruth Krauss titled “I’ll Be You and You Be Me.” It has delightful verses and simple drawings by Maurice Sendak. On one of the pages, there is a sequence of small sketches showing a little boy surrounded by other children.
In the first picture, the boy leans toward a little girl above the caption “a dream for you.” The subsequent pictures show each child happily holding a balloon filled with the dream they’ve made their own. One by one, the child approaches each of his friends with the words “and a dream for you…” “and a dream for you…” printed below the pictures. In the final sketch, the children are all marching happily in a row, proudly holding their unique, beautiful dreams.
Near my house, on a corner I drive by several times a day, a man sits near a crate from morning to night. He wears a red shirt. He has a gray, scruffy beard. He has a shopping cart full of his things nearby. When the traffic light turns red and cars stop at the intersection, he stands. He holds a cardboard sign that reads, “Trying to get back on my feet. Smiles help.” People reach out through their car windows and pass him a few dollars. He brings his hand to his heart and says, “Thank you.” Many smile and wave. He smiles and waves back.
Last Wednesday, the crate was there but he was not. I peered around looking for him, but I didn’t see him anywhere. As I drove closer, I could see a cardboard sign propped up against the crate. It read:
Usually I stand on this corner. Today my dream came true and I’m working. Thank you for helping.
-The guy with the beard
My eyes filled with tears. I thought of the child in the book with his generosity of spirit toward others, spreading goodness all around as the recipients accepted the hand-up and proudly marched off to do something with their dream:
A dream for you.
And a dream for you.
And one for you.