Tag: caring

Ever wonder what it would be like to be someone else? No, really, what if we could swap places with someone for 24 hours. Who would you swap with? President Obama? Angelina Jolie? Oprah Winfrey or how about Bill Gates? Now keep in mind- all that glitters isn’t gold and the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, so you definitely gotta be careful what you wish for.

Wanna know who Runaway Nuns and Leprechauns would swap with? ….. It would very likely be “Mr Jones”. No, not the “keeping up with the Joneses'” Mr Jones. The Mr Jones who walks from town to town, rain or shine (snow or sleet) with holes in his shoes, sleeping in parks or in the woods or under the bridge. See, the Mr Jones we’re talking about is homeless. We see him every other day or so and we often offer him food or coffee or conversation. Several months ago during one of our many rainy days we gave him a raincoat, dry shoes and a backpack with a change of clothes. So why would we change places with a homeless man? For these  simple reasons:  to be more appreciative for our blessings  and to give Mr Jones a chance to “come in out of the cold”.

Swapping places with someone famous could get you fame for a day. Swapping places with someone rich could get you a pocket full of coins and friends you didn’t know existed. Swapping places with someone homeless could help you learn to count your blessings, to be more compassionate, and to pay it forward in the biggest way.

What if you were asked to swap places with someone who was well known in the area, who had enough money, and who wasn’t homeless? Would you do it? How about if that person was shunned by many members of society? Would you still do it?