PASS IT ON By Dottie Coffman

03 Mar PASS IT ON By Dottie Coffman

Remember the story about doing a good deed and then passing it on. Random acts of kindness…you know, touching someone else’s life and then in turn, they touch someone else, and so on and so on.

My daughter was reminded of this recently when she traveled from her home to the other side of Atlanta to a meeting. She had to leave very early in the morning to avoid the traffic, which is impossible at best. So she stopped at an IHOP for breakfast. As she pulled into the parking lot, she noticed an old (?) woman sitting on the curb. Julie became obviously aware that the woman was a homeless white woman who was trying to sleep.

Someone from the IHOP came out and told the woman, ever so gently, that she had to move. She would not be able to sleep in front of their restaurant. Another lady (a woman of color) got out of a car and walked up to the homeless lady—let me call her Sally, since I do not like repeating the phrase “homeless lady”. ‘Mrs. Black’ told Sally that she was going to buy her breakfast.

Julie watched as Sally and Mrs. Black went into the IHOP. Sally was able to order anything she wanted and a huge breakfast she had. As Julie observed she was able to hear that IHOP picked up at least some of the tab for that breakfast. Sally, who had black finger nails, shabby clothes, dirty, and could barely stay awake long enough to eat, ate ravenously. And she ate everything with her fingers, no utensils. She crammed her food in her mouth like there was no tomorrow…..and maybe there wasn’t for her.

Julie noticed Mrs. Black did give her a book of some kind and some other written information. Julie guessed that it was a phone number, maybe her own phone number. Julie was really shaken by this encounter and she called me when she finished breakfast. She could hardly speak as she re-played the scene she had witnessed. How it touched Julie’s heart. Several things were going through her mind. “Poor woman.” “How blessed am I.” “Do I do anything to help anyone?” “What can I do today to help someone?”

Where Sally went from the IHOP we do not know. We do know that she had at least one meal that day and a kind person who tried to talk with her. Where she slept that night, where her next meal will come from, and who will be the next one to care for her, are all questions unanswered.

I have no answers, no wise words to share about the homeless or for that matter any other situation where a person is in extreme need. But I am certainly glad there are still Americans out there who stop to share and care in this precarious world.

Pass it on.

Dorothy (Dottie) Coffman was born in Washington, DC and raised in Northern Virginia. She married her high school sweetheart, Ken, and after some very dramatic years, they now live in Monroe, Georgia. They have four children: daughter Julie with grandson Noah; Brad (Rhonda) with granddaughter Alexis and grandson Tyler; twin sons Nick (Jen) and Matt (Amy).

Dottie has been involved in many things including: sports, drama and music, radio talk show host and station manager, writing, photojournalism, Bible teacher, public relations, community relations, and more. Being a professional interviewer, a radio personality, and now a writer, Dottie finds that real life is the best subject of all.