Remembering Al

I heard yesterday that Al passed away.  I wrote about Al last year, he was the first homeless person I really got to know.  He was inspiring, I didn’t hear resentment about his lot in life, only care for himself and his friends.  He taught me about the realities of a life without shelter and basic comforts, each day a fight for survival and yet Al was a survivor.  Al was willing to share his story without judging me, he was simply grateful for the conversation.

When a tree falls in the forest, does it make a noise if there is nobody to hear it?  When a homeless person dies, does it matter if there is nobody who cares about them?  Fortunately in Al’s case, the homeless community and organizations like Operation Nightwatch do care and his life was celebrated.  Is that true of everyone in this situation?  Can we accept anyone passing away in complete anonymity?

Rest in peace Al.