More Than a Letter

The other night a homeless man ( we will call him Albert) died on the streets. He was found under some newspapers on a park bench and had died during the night when the September temperatures had dropped to an unseasonable 36 degrees. Perhaps he died of exposure; perhaps malnutrition or any of a dozen other possible causes. Most surely he died alone, without family, without any means of contacting family if they do exist.

His shopping cart was next to the bench, and all of his worldly possessions, the sum total of his life, were in that cart….a couple blankets….a thin cotton sweater…..a roll of duct tape and his sign….”Homeless, need food or change…can you help me?”

I find myself needing to write a letter to Albert; nobody saw him while he lived; maybe this letter will help you all see him now.

Dear Albert:

I’m sorry! I still find it hard to believe that deaths like yours happen in the richest nation on Earth. I still find it hard to believe that a veteran who served his country could die in such a fashion. I still find it hard to believe that there are people among us who are neither seen nor heard. It would be inconceivable to me if I did not witness it with my eyes daily.

I’m sorry your country was not there for you the way you were there for your country. I’m sorry that the promises given to every citizen did not apply to you. I’m sorry that trade agreements and foreign aid were more important than your well-being. I'm sorry it is more important for politicians to argue about each others's appearance than it is for them to seek solutions for homelessness.

I’m sorry that by ignoring you we all share in the blame for your death. “There but for the grace of God…..” Well, here I am, healthy, happy, and loved, whether it be because of God or some random roll of the cosmic dice. I live, you die, and life goes on, right?

Maybe I’ve been a naïve fool, Albert, but I believed those words about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Albert, you fought in the army defending those words. So what went wrong? How does this happen?

Sadly, this narrative happens all too often around the country. In a few weeks Samaritan House will be sending out our fall newsletter. As the end of the year approaches, we humbly ask for your assistance in combating homelessness in the Flathead so people like Albert no longer become statistics.