Today’s gift was my most intense yet.

My inspiration behind the 64 day challenge is the book 29 Gifts. In the book the protagonist and author Cami speaks about her experience with her spiritual adviser, and how that adviser felt at one point during her 29 days of gift giving she would give a gift to a homeless person. She also told Cami she’d know the person when she encountered him.  Similar to Cami I knew the exact moment I had to give my gift. Sounds a little odd, I know.  But hear me out..I was following my usual route home (1 train south two stops, transfer to the shuttle, than into Grand Central for the ride home to Chappaqua). It was during this route when I began thinking about my gift for the day.  I’d decided that my gift would be to one of the many street performers that I see during my commute in the grumbling underbelly of the city.  As I approached the area where they usually perform nobody was there.  Bummer. I continued to walk when I saw a homeless man in the distance. He was sleeping on the ground with newspaper covering his body functioning as a primitive  blanket.  I thought to myself perhaps he would be the person I should give my gift to, but truthfully he scare the sh#t out of me.  So for a second I thought to myself- “no way, I want to get home to my family…no time”….a split second later I thought “this poor guy doesn’t have a family to go home to”…. Decision made. This was definitely the person that I should give my gift to.  I turned into Grand Central, bought a sandwich ($4.25), and turned to find my guy.  As I approached him I became very self conscience that I really didn’t want anyone to see me giving him the sandwich, however I really wanted him to know that I was there.  So I tapped him on the shoulder.  He jumped and pulled the newspaper off his face. I looked him in the eyes, and said “it’s a sandwich…enjoy”….he was startled, and a little confused, than I saw it register on his face what I was doing…softly he said “thank you”.  I turned and walked away.  This was the most intense, profound gift I’ve ever given in my life.