Her name is Kimmy

Submitted by Jennifer Paton Brautigan

OK… you might want to get a tissue ready.

I had a rainy day to day at work; I said I will make it up on sat. No big deal, my phone rings at 9:30 this morning from a friend wanting to know if I would help them paint for cash. I say I am in about 4:00.

I said I am going to get food be back in a bit, I go through a fast food place, get my food, park and start eating. I saw a lady, rugged clothes, hairs a mess; she goes up to a man eating in his nice Land rover, with his button up shirt. He was next to me and I see her talking and he is shaking his head no and rolls up his window on her.

With her head down she walks around my car and knocks on my window. I roll it down and say “hello, what’s up?” she looked me straight in the eyes with her despair and so sad looking; she said “I am hungry, I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

I asked “what do you want?” She said “I just want food.” I said “I meant you want a big mac meal, fish meal, or chicken?” Her eyes lit up and said a big mac would be great, I said stay here I will be back, put my food down and went in got her meal.

She started walking in the parking lot I gave her food and she hugged me with tears in her eyes and said thank you so much, and started walking, I asked “where are you going?” She said “over there to eat.” I said I was going to eat with you by my car, she said I would like that, so I got my food out and sat on the curb with her and we talked, she ate it so fast I was in awe… she said her husband died in October 5th and she was evicted 3 weeks later, she said I had it all, and now I have nothing, no family.

I told her I was sorry for her loss and she started crying, me with teary eyes asked where are you sleeping? She said behind the Hampton inn, by the bridge, I said do you have any other clothes or blankets? No. she said its scary out here at night with the other homeless people.

I gave her 2 sweatshirts from my car and a pack of smokes. Her still with tears in her eyes, said you have no idea how much this means to me, I say I wish I could do more, Land rover dude and a few other people around sat in their cars and watched.

I hope he learned a lesson.

Her name is Kimmy, and she hugged me 3 more times; I said Merry Christmas to you. She said “God puts people in your life when you need them most, and you are one of them.” As she walked away with the sweatshirts I gave her, I had chills and tears streamed off my cheeks…

Why I posted this? Because you never know what people are fighting or what brought them to the place they are at in life. Don’t judge people because they are dirty or rugged looking. They love and cry just like the ones who have a warm place to call home.

I really wanted to bring her home with me… that was my today.