By Colin Chappell | Featured Author

He listened;
He understood;
He befriended;
He cared.

All the courage he gave me,
By just being there,
Made me feel like
I wanted to live.
He gave me so much
Yet… had so little to give…
But his time.

I realized later
There was so much more.
I was indebted to that man
And… what’s more,
To experience the caring
of someone unknown
made me wonder.
Who else was out there alone?

History, thankfully, speaks for itself.
The evidence to me is quite clear.
Were it not for one man
Who held out his hand,
Would I even be here?

Would I even be here
To write these words?
Would I even be here to care
About others less fortunate.
The hungry; The sick;
And the ones for whom no one is there?

He opened my world
To a life of compassion.
He gave me a reason to live.
He made me see that…
Through the trials of my life,
I could help,
And I am so glad that he did.

I met a girl from the street,
Selling red roses simply so she could eat.
I met a man jilted by another.
I met a lost soul,
Who had nowhere to go,
And an old lady
Who just dreamed of going home.

For all their differences,
They had much in common.
They all just wanted a friend.
Someone to talk to.
Someone who would listen.
Someone with time to spend.

I listened;
I understood;
I befriended;
I cared.

Author Bio

Colin Chappell is a writer and the author of Who Said I was up for Adoption, Just Thinking, and The Odessa Chronicles. His blog, A Dog’s Life, details his days with his beloved canine, Ray. Originally from the UK, Colin now lives in Canada where he continues to write to this day.

Colin’s Blog: MeandRay.com

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