A can of soda. And a hug.

Peter had been begging us to take him to see the new movie Lincoln.  We decided to go on Saturday afternoon.  Dan would take Peter to see Lincoln and Sarah and I would see Wreck-It Ralph.

We were at a stop light and I noticed a homeless woman on the corner.  Sadly, it seems that every time I go to town, I see more and more homeless people begging for money. 

This woman was dressed in dark clothes with a red knit cap and at first, I wasn't even really sure if it was a man or a woman.  I was staring at her wondering if I should give her a few dollars, hesitating like I always do, when a teenager in a car several cars ahead of us, hopped out of the passenger side of his car.

He had that shaggy hair that so many of the kids these days are wearing (geez, I sound like a 85-year-old curmudgeon!) and ran over to the woman. 

"Look, kids!  That teenager is giving the homeless lady something!"

The kids stopped playing their video games or reading their books or fighting or whatever it was they were doing in the backseat of the car at the time and watched.

He handed her a Pepsi.

And then he hugged her.

This kid (maybe 17) opened up his arms and hugged this homeless woman.

It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

And  I stopped hesitating about whether or not I should give her some money and I grabbed my wallet. 

I noticed the car in front of us handed her some money.  And then we handed her a couple of ones. "God bless you," she said.  Her eyes looked tired and sad.

And then the car behind us handed her some money.

I believe we all gave because we saw a kid give the lady a can of soda. And a hug.

I wonder if the kid thought to himself, All I've got to give her is a Pepsi.  What good is a Pepsi?

I hope he saw the other cars giving her money after he inspired us with his hug.  I hope he saw that by giving what he had, he gave others the courage to do the same.

And I hope I will always remember that it isn't necessarily the size of the gift, but the love behind it.