Easter memories...

To celebrate Easter this year, I didn't fill hundreds of eggs with candy or prizes and hide them around my yard. Though, I have done that in the past.

I didn't have the privilege of spending time with family, because I still live too far away.

Image: by rduris via openclipart

Instead of these traditional holiday events, I opted for a variation on the theme. I was part of a group of individuals who put together baskets for the people who are hidden in plain sight because they live in the woods. We went to an area I frequent often because it is next to my favorite grocery. None of us had been past the paved road and in to the trees.

Behind branches and leaves is what could best be described as a neighborhood.  Folks were doing yard work, or sitting in Adirondack chairs in the sun. Some had dogs as pets. Some are known for their practical inventions. Others described their prior evening sharing tea with a friend in front of the television. All would be labeled homeless because they live in tents in the woods on "borrowed" land.

Our baskets consisted of goodies like candy, homemade cookies, Wal-mart gift cards, warm socks and bug repellent.

There is a moment I will never forget. A moment I stole a glance at that was likely not meant for public consumption. One of the couples thanked us for our holiday gift. As we were on our way out, he opened his zip-lock bag of cookies and took a bite, then broke off a piece and fed it to her. It was a tender moment. This couple may have been discarded by a "civilized society," but for that moment I witnessed caring and sharing. It is the gift that I took with me when we walked back out to the hustle and bustle of the city.

just Sheri, touched by the tender side of humanity