Day Twenty-Four: Mr. Mints

I pick Jace up from school around 9 every Monday and Tuesday night. The exit we take off of the freeway is onto Parker Road, one of the busiest roads in town. We usually wait at a red light immediately after exiting. That light is the hot spot for homeless people. This was a very difficult place for me to get stopped when I was prego and hormonal. One time I burst into tears and could not stop crying for about an hour because I didn't grab some change out of my wallet quick enough for an old man begging. A dollar really wouldn't have taken him far, but at the time I felt I was responsible for him not getting something from the dollar menu at McDonalds that night. Maybe he had a family.
There is another man that is often there waiting, begging, with a smile on his face. I really should ask him what his name is, but I just call him Mr. Mints. Every time I give him some money, no matter how much, he hands me a mint and says "thank you". This is a person that understands the power of giving. Sure, he probably steals the mints from a nearby hotel, but he recognizes that he was given something and wants to give back. I place my mint in the cup holder next to my $300 ipod. I could give so much more. I truly believe that a mint is the best Mr. Mints can give. He gives all he can for a little bit of what everyone else can give. I have heated seats, a warm bed, a fully stocked kitchen, and all I hand him sometimes only 25 cents.
Lately I have been watching my girl get more and more aware of everything around her. Sometimes she just stares straight at me, as if waiting for me to tell her something important. Quite frankly, I don't always know what to talk to her about. I get flustered talking to someone that can't talk back to me. What do I tell her? I guess I should tell about Mr. Mints and all the things that are still good about the world. Sure, there are plenty of things that really stink in the world...she'll learn about that part of the world soon enough. But for now, I want her to know about trees, flowers, warm blankets, tire swings, and Mr. Mints.