Overwhelmed

Hey All.

My momma is overwhelmed.  On reading that you might be thinking, "oh know!."  But it's not like that, let me tell you a story, a true story.  I think most of you know that in addition to my momma working at our church she works at The Lantern House Homeless Shelter.  My momma is the kitchen manager and main cooking chef woman.  About 2 years ago a guy named Mike lived at the shelter.  Momma says Mike was a nice guy, as many of the people are at the shelter.  One day Mike said he wanted to give my momma a gift, a thank you for what she did/does not only for him but for all the people who come to the shelter.  My momma said "thank you, but employees are not allow to accept gifts from clients/residents."  Time went on and Mike left the shelter, he would come back every once in a while to have lunch, always making sure to say hi to my momma.  Then on Monday momma got a call at work, it was Mike and he asked if she could meet him outside of his apartment, he had something for her.  Momma met Mike and another former resident of the shelter and Mike handed her this:

It's my angel brother Goose.  But wait there is more to this story.  See Mike started working on this gift while he lived at the shelter, TWO YEARS ago.  For all this time he has been working on it.  A few months ago Mike was hit by a car and now he is in a wheelchair.  As he was healing he continued to work on this gift.  So what is it?  Is it a drawing?  Is it a painting?  Is it a sketch?  Nope.  It is a piece of glass.  Mike took a piece of glass and etched Gooses likeness on the glass!!!!  Using whatever pointy instrument at hand.  In fact this is the 3rd attempt Mike made in making this gift.  The previous 2 broke, one when it was almost complete.  But Mike picked up another piece of glass and started again. 

I wish you could run your paws across the glass and feel the peak and valleys of this etched, scratched out work of art.  It looks just like Goose.  My momma was so overwhelmed that tears started to fall from her eyes.  If ya know my momma you know she doesn't shed tears often, even when she wants to she holds them back.  But she could not hold back the tears when Mike gave this to her.  Mike wrote a long note to my momma on the back of the frame and I want to share with you a small part of what he wrote,  "Thank you for seeing me as a real person while I was at the shelter, not many could or would.  Often people would just look past me and others like me, you didn't, always greeting with a smile and how are you.  Thank you......"

I share a little of what Mike wrote because I believe it is important.  No matter if someone is homeless or lives in a mansion, is wealthy or poor, is thin or fat, is old or young, or smells bad or like they just stepped out of a spa,  my friends it doesn't matter, no one is worth more than another.  We all walk this earth together, we all have feelings, hopes, dreams.  The beautiful thing to do is treat each other with dignity and respect.  Know what happens when we do that?  The world just gets more and more beautiful.

Blessings,
Buddy

Here is a photo of Goose so you can see how much Mike captured him.