On my way into work this morning, a man stood near the intersection. His sign read: “Veteran. Homeless. Anything will help.” After reading Same Kind of Different as Me a few years ago and volunteering with Mobile Loaves & Fishes, I’ve never viewed the homeless the same.

I don’t usually keep cash; I grabbed all the change I could find – mostly quarters – and rolled down my window. We made eye contact; he hobbled towards me, his old cane moving swiftly. With a fist full of change, I reluctantly said, “It’s mostly quarters.” He held out a dirty hand as I dropped the coins into his palm. We paused. I held onto his hand, almost shaking it with the coins tucked inside. Looking up and smiling, I chirped, “Thank you for serving our country, Sir.” With a toothless grin, his shoulders arched back and he stood up a bit straighter. “I did it with pride.”

The light turned green, and the cars before me sped off. My smile grew wider as I tried to keep tears from filling my eyes. We wished each other good days, and I thought about how very different our days would, indeed, be.

My mind quickly moved to VA nurses, the nurses that care for the veterans of our Country each and every day, many of whom end up homeless for various reasons. What a tremendous service those nurses provide, blending the science and art of nursing to benefit the great men and women, including my father and numerous family members, who’ve served and sworn to protect freedom around the world.

Thank you, VA nurses. Thank you.