Note

It’s shocking how little things go a long way… Most of my life I’ve been able to hold my own. That’s not to say I don’t need guidance from people or situations. Life’s journey is kinda like a rollercoaster ride—hold tight, climb high, drop low, gain speed, swing through loops and obtain those thrill seeking moments. We all experience our time on earth uniquely. I remember telling my mother that I barely suffered in life. What I meant by that, is I’ve had help throughout my life to not face much adversity, turmoil or hardships. I’ve had accidents and got into trouble before yes; however, it was quickly bandaged up by my folks. Where I’m going with this, is many friends of mine would accomplish things on their own and see them come out of it. Good or bad, they learned a great deal from their experience. For certain reasons, I felt held back from my independence. Trying to move forward in life, I questioned what my strengths, skills or passions were? Like what summed up Jorge as a whole? Deep question I know… Transitioning to Portland Oregon you could say it jump stared the journey in re-discovering who I was becoming. I’ll dive deeper into that journey in another post, but there’s one moment I need to share—because it changed me. After living here for over a decade., I did reach some of my low points in life—overworked with school assignments, working long hours & finance situations that depleted some of my long earned savings. I was struggling and everything was hitting me all at once. Misery was knocking at my door for sure. Not a good feeling—especially when you’re not used to it. To distract myself, I resort to my neighborhood walks which kept me grounded. I don't really wear my emotions on my sleeves so I can easily conceal what’s inside. Well, this time someone saw right through me. I walked to my favorite plaza—Bridgeport. Even the beautiful weather couldn’t deter from my melancholy state. Sitting on a stone, I fumbled through my phone. Seeing if I can find anything worth catching my attention—nothing... I tried reading articles—nothing. Sports? Nothing… I observed the people around me seeing how content they were. But my eyes went back to the floor.

Then I heard it:
“Excuse me.”

I looked up. A girl—maybe 13 or 14 years old—stood there. Blonde hair, bright eyes, quiet confidence.

“Hi,” I said, surprised.

She smiled gently and said, “I’m sorry, but I saw you from a distance and wanted to come over and give you this.”

I looked at her hand and its one of those artificial flowers that had an index card taped to the stem with a written message. As I read the words a smile birthed. I looked back up at her to share my smile for a moment and then I thanked her very much. She, grinned, turned and walked away. I sobbed a little after receiving that. Thinking back on it, I wish I could have given her a hug. Something so little that impacts you very profound. I needed that at that specific time and place. You never know who is watching and who is caring. Perhaps God was telling me everything is going to be okay. It was the bandage I needed. I will forever remember that day.