Making a Change To Improve The Holidays

By Michael Boyd

During the last holiday season I didn’t have any gifts to give to my grandchildren.  Being homeless, you count the days in the winter time.  I lost track of the actual holiday season worrying about getting boots for myself and a decent coat.  By Christmas I didn’t have too much of anything.  But, this year I’m going to make a difference.  I’m going to change it.  Any pennies, nickels, and dimes I get, starting in October, I’ll start saving up for my grandchildren and some of the homeless children I see down there at the shelter.  The life that I have is short and I’m trying to make a difference to make me feel better.  This is what God tells me to do because it’s not about me.  If it wasn’t for my Lord Jesus Christ, I would be nothing.  I can always use the help.

I would like to tell a story of how I first met Sister Corita at St. Augusta.  About 1990, I was living on the streets and had just lost my apartment.  I was trying to get some change.  The Sister told me she would help me get some change to get on the bus, “Just wait a minute”.  In my mind, I was thinking about getting a beer.  I think she knew it.  I sat there for an hour.  An hour passed, so I got up and wouldn’t let her pass me.  She is about 4’10” tall, weighed about 100 pounds and I’m all in her face.  So, then some people got up and said, “Hey, get out of the Sister’s face”!  She made them sit back down and said, “Don’t worry about it.  I got him.”  She said a few choice words to me that I thought a Sister didn’t even know.  She made me mop the floor, clean some tables, and still made me sit there.  I think she knew I wanted some alcohol, so she gave me a bus ticket and sent me on my way, no money.  We’ve been friends ever since.  Real good lady.  God bless and you can always donate to St. Augustine and Sister Corita’s program.  She always needs bus passes.

Copyright Cleveland Street Chronicle September 2016 Issue 23.3 Cleveland Ohio