a short snapshot.

she sat quietly in the chair next to me
her eyes were heavy.
and her face was tear-stained.
after a long moment of silence,
she raised her head and said,
"I am not asking for extravagance,
I just want a place to live, and some
friends and family to share this life with...
Is that too much to hope for?"

Suddenly, she wasn't the only one with tears
rolling down her cheeks.
A lump formed in the back of my throat
and I found it hard to breathe.
I didn't know what to say to her
except that there was hope
and that her life was worth fighting for.

I'm learning to be grateful for those "everyday" things
that I so often take for granted.
like friends
and family.
the love in my life is lavish...
i'm coming to see how rare that is in our world.