What I see...

I meant to post this around Christmas, but with the craziness of the holidays am just getting to it now....


Some see a tattoo covered hispanic male that is not working during the day and is wearing baggy jeans. Many would make the assumption that he is a drug dealer, gang banger, or up to no good. Most would be nervous passing him on the street at night alone.

What I see is a man who got his girlfriend pregnant when they were in high school, begged the judge to let him marry her because that is their culture, served three years in prison for sexual assault of her, married her the week he got out, and has stood by her every day for the past 16 years. I see a man who works two jobs to make ends meet for his family, but still has family game nights whenever he can. I see a man who is standing in the middle of the street taking presents from me that were donated by a family in my church and he doesn't know what to say to me. He is looking at the ground trying to hide his tears and I know how much he appreciates this. He simply shakes his head and says "thank you". I say, as I try to mask my own tears, "have a very merry Christmas" and I turn to leave him with a warm heart, knowing what his Christmas will now be like.

Some see an African American woman who doesn't work and assume that she is just lazy and taking whatever she can from the state. They see a woman with four kids and assume they all have different dads and that she doesn't take care of them.

I see a woman who left the man who is all four kids father because he beat her so bad she couldn't take it anymore. I see a woman who wants to work, but any job that she can get doesn't even cover her daycare costs. I see a woman who is hurting so badly that she doesn't want to get out of bed in the morning, but does it because she is taking care of her kids all on her own and doing the best that she can. I see a woman who doesn't even try to mask her tears as she hugs me and says God bless you and thank you a million times. She tells me that because of these gifts her kids will have something to open on Christmas and that is the most amazing gift ever.

This experience taught me so much. First and foremost it reminded me what Christmas is really about. It isn't about the gifts we get, it is about what we give to others. It reminds me how easy it is to assume what or who a person is, but unless we really know that persons story, we have no idea who they are. I am thankful that I have a job that reminds me of that on a daily basis.