Breakfast and a Coat

by Susan Pichotta, November 2007

"One of the first things you learn about life on the street is how to eat out of trash cans."

There once was a businessman who stopped at McDonald's every morning for breakfast. He ate his breakfast in a park near his office, then tossed the garbage into a handy trash can as he walked away. It so happened that he could see the trash can from his office window.

One morning, he saw a teenage girl dig through the trash can. He saw her find his unfinished breakfast, and eat it. The next day, the businessman thought of the girl when he was ordering his breakfast at McDonald's. He added to his order the biggest breakfast item they offered on their menu. When the businessman finished his breakfast in the park, he not only threw his trash into the trash can, but into the trash can he carefully placed the styrofoam plate with the extra breakfast. The teenage girl found it easily, and ate well.

During the following weeks, the businessman continued to buy an extra breakfast each day and leave it in the trash can. Then one day, it was cold - winter was coming. The businessman thought of the thin clothes he had seen on the teenage girl. The next morning, he waited beside the trash can until she came. When he handed her the breakfast, he said, "Why don't you meet me here after work? I'll take you to a store and buy you a winter coat."

The teenage girl looked at the businessman, and she began to cry. She thought of the clothes she had in her closet at home. She looked at the trash can, and the breakfast in her hand, and thought of the meals she had eaten at home. In a flash, she realized that although life at home was difficult, it wasn't as hard as life on the street. As the tears rolled down her face, she looked up at the businessman and said, "No, thank you. I'm going home."

THE END

Author's note: The preceeding is a true story. The teenage girl was a friend of my son after she returned to high school. Few people knew of her time as a runaway. She says prayers of thanksgiving for the nameless businessman who bought her those breakfasts.