"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." ~ Ancient Chinese Proverb
It began, for both the author and me, in much the same way. We were two busy professional women, rushing past panhandlers, only to feel yanked back by an invisible thread. Something we knew nothing about at the time, Laura Schroff in bustling Manhattan, and me in sleepy, rural Colorado, drew us to connect with individuals whose circles and lives were so far removed from our normal daily existence.
Was it destiny? Perhaps. All I know is that one instant of pausing to really see the person behind the sign became a moment of recognition. For some reason, both Schroff and I were to have an awakening that came at the hands of destitution.
You never really see that coming—a whole new purpose born of paying attention, of listening, and of being drawn into the stories of those who have so little... those who are stereotyped as takers rather than givers. This book review, of
An Invisible Thread, is really the story within a story of how all of our lives are intertwined.
It seemed like any other ordinary day when Laura Scroff's life was profoundly, and forever, changed. She had no intention of meeting up with a disadvantaged street child, but things that are meant to be tend to override executive sales agendas.
After initially passing up eleven-year-old Maurice, who asked Scroff for spare change because he was hungry, she found herself looking back over her shoulder at him, and then backpedaling to take Maurice to McDonald's for lunch. This seemingly unassuming, one-time act of kindness then took on a life of its own. Over Big Macs and fries, Laura and Maurice launched what would become a lifelong friendship. Through months, and then years, of weekly meal dates and life-enriching experiences, these two became chosen family.
As one who had grown up with abuse, Schroff could empathize, and feel great compassion for this young boy who was attempting to survive the most extreme poverty—a poverty that extended well beyond that of hunger and lack of safe shelter. Surrounded by drug-addled adults who were emotionally unavailable to nurture him, and living by his wits alone, Maurice's poverty went soul deep.
Though her friends and colleagues warned her off, thinking Schroff's outreach to Maurice was too risky, Laura's commitment to, and bond with him would not, and could not, be broken. This would not turn out to be a one-way charity case. It became a mutually beneficial friendship that transformed and healed both individuals.
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| He Shared His Story With Me Over a Subway Sandwich |
Those who follow my Facebook postings know that I interact with homeless individuals on a daily basis. It isn't something I would ever have thought would become a mission for me. I just felt compelled one day to stop and listen to the personal story of the man behind one of those panhandling signs.
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| I Felt Compelled to Stop and Let Kindness Connect Us |
I don't even like the word
panhandler because of its negative connotation. Doesn't it spark labels of
beggar, or for some people, even something as ugly as
loser? I've seen and heard those drive-by insults when standing on a corner checking up on one of my homeless friends. You know... the guy who rolls down his window and shouts, "Get a job, loser!"
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| Perhaps We Are All Living on a Prayer |
What Laura and I found, when really getting to know the person holding that piece of cardboard in his hands, was a whole new way of living... a whole new way of perceiving those willing to bare their vulnerable souls to a public that isn't always very welcoming to them. We both discovered, and opened up, the gifts of these beautiful souls. We became the recipients of change that is not spare.
I highly recommend
An Invisible Thread, not because it has been a New York Times bestseller, but because of its focus on kindness and goodness. Do I believe there is an invisible thread? Oh, yes... absolutely... and I am so thankful for those on the other end of my thread.
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