Consider that girl in the chocolate brown hat who just walked by you in a hurry,
You mutter an unkind word because she made you drop your drink.
You go on with your day.

Consider the little boy in the red coat who asks you to hold his balloon for a minute,
You tell him you really need to get going and you're sorry, but you can't help him.
You go on with your day.

Consider the man with the heart tattooed on his neck who works next to you,
You silently mock his quiet and introverted nature.
You go on with your day.

Consider the woman in line in front of you at a coffee shop who can barely speak English,
You are aggravated because she is taking an outrageously long time to order.
You go on with your day.

Around 5 p.m., you decide to go out with some friends.
After a few hours, you all decide to head home.
Everyone is dropped off, and you are soon asleep in your bed.




Around 5:30 the next morning, your alarm sounds the beginning of a new day.
You turn on the TV, which tells you that there has been a tragic accident just 4 blocks from where you live.
You listen intently to what has happened while you slept...

At approximately 8:30 p.m. that night, a bus was T-boned at the busy corner you drive by to get to work every day,
There were 10 people in the vehicle, and all survived, save the driver.
They flash a picture. It's the woman from the coffee shop.

Before the woman passed on, she managed to open the door for all of her passengers to leave safely.
A balloon is handed to her as she takes her final breath.
A little red coat is left on her lap and its owner runs away in tears.

Several EMTs are gathered around the surviving victims,
Each is being treated for minor cuts and bruises, and one of the EMTs is handing them glasses of cool water,
A woman asks him how long it took to get that crimson heart tattooed on his neck.

"Bravery and kindness are present here today, ladies and gentlemen, as our community comes together to help the victims of this local tragedy," says the news reporter at the scene of the accident.
As the sun gets brighter in the distance, you notice that she is all in blue,
Except for her chocolate brown winter hat.

Now you sit in your house, and you wonder what would have happened,
If you had just shown a little more kindness, been a little more patient, had a little less pride.
But it's too late now, and all you can do is hope for another chance to meet people as amazing as the ones you pushed away.
By: Maria Muscoreil