I am walking along a downtown street on the curbside, when a man walking in the opposite direction, darts across the sidewalk and grabs my arm. “Well! Aren’t you just a breath of fresh air!” he exclaims giving me a big hug.

I laugh and hug him back.

“I miss you,” he says. “We all miss you.”

He is a client of the homeless shelter where I used to work. He’s not homeless any longer. He has his own apartment, is receiving government assistance as his mental health issues make working difficult. One of the counsellors at the shelter worked with him to ensure he received support. And he is grateful.

He’s also grateful for his apartment, his ‘abundance’ and his, what he calls, escape from shelter life.

As we chat, a van drives past us, the driver honks, a woman leans out the window and she yells hello!  I wave back, the man waves back and we laugh. We’re causing quite a scene standing on the street during rush hour. Except, the man and woman are also known to both of us. They too were once at the shelter.

“Jack” and I chat for a few minutes. He tells me about a friend of his who is still living at the shelter. I know the man. He is kind and caring, and lost. His mental health issues impede his ability to move out of the shelter. “I got my cheque the other day,” Jack tells me. “I’m so grateful for the raise the government just gave me, I decided to share my wealth. I gave him $50 and told him to consider it an early birthday gift.”

I smile.

Those who have little do that a lot. Share what they have with grace and open heartedness.

Jack and I talk some more until we agree, it may be the beginning of May but it sure feels like winter. Time to continue on to our destinations. I thank him for stopping to chat with me. He hugs me again and repeats. “I sure miss you!  Lost of people miss you!”

“I miss you too and everyone else,” I tell him before crossing the street. On the other side a man is waiting at the light to cross in the other direction. I know him from the shelter too. Except this man is the CEO of an organization that serves lunch or helps out with other tasks at the shelter.

We chat for a moment. “I’ve missed seeing you when I’ve been there,” he tells me, handing me his card. We promise to connect for a coffee and continue on with our day.

Chance encounters which left me smiling and feeling uplifted. Chance encounters that made a difference in my day.

It is so easy to make a difference on the street. Jack took the time to stop and acknowledge me. The couple passing by took the time to wave and smile. The man on the corner waited to say hello. And in their acts of grace, my life was enriched.

What can you do today to enrich the life of another with small significances that go a long way to making a difference in their day? What small act can you commit todayto add light and laughter and smiles and love to someone else’s life?