Little things that mean a lot

 "You're cool. You're a nice lady." So said the homeless man who chatted me up this morning while I was on my way to yoga class.

I'm always in a hurry and kind of embarrassed when I go to yoga because I'm wearing yoga pants and a Bruce Springsteen t-shirt. And carrying a mat. I think I look quite silly, but it's only around the corner and I remind myself I'm not a Kardashian and there are no paparazzi waiting to splash my déclassé attire across the internet.

As I'm headed toward the streetlight at the corner, I hear a voice behind me say, "Hi." I'm in front of the bank and look into the reflection in the windows to see a young man I don't recognize. It was a fleeting glance, and I assumed he was talking on his phone through headphones.

"I said, 'hi,'" he repeated. I turned and took a closer look. It was the young man who usually sits in front of the bookstore. I think that's probably where he was headed to begin his day of panhandling. 

"Oh, hi," I said. "I'm sorry. I thought you were on your phone."

Stuck beside me at the red light, he said, "You're the one who gives me the bag with the food and the money." It's true. Every time I see him I give him a blessing bag with a $1 bill, a breakfast bar, a packet of tissues, cough drops or hard candy, and a chapstick. Since I shop at Dollar Tree, the baggie probably costs me $2.

"That's me," I said. "But I don't have anything with me now. Just my keys and my yoga mat."

"I know. I just wanted to say 'hi.' You're cool. You're a nice a lady."

I was both pleased and embarrassed. "Well," I said, "I'm happy to help because we're all in this life together, right?"

"Not everybody thinks like that. Wish they did, but they don't." 

I didn't know what to say to him and was grateful the light changed. I crossed and he turned left. "Take care," I said over my shoulder.

During a quiet moment in yoga class I smiled to myself. It feels very good to know my little efforts made another person feel good. "You're cool. You're a nice a lady." felt like great praise.