I was running home after a long day at the hospital, exhausted, heart heavy, thinking about picking up my kids from my mother’s place

He looked defeated, worn down by life more than by years. The dog actually seemed in better shape than its master.

He cleared his throat and said:

— “Ma’am… excuse me. I’m a former soldier. We haven’t eaten since yesterday. I’m not asking for money, just… if you have anything extra.”

Normally, I would have been wary.

But there was something in the way he held his dog — gentle, firm, protective — that made me stop.

— “Wait a moment,” I replied.