They were 17 years old when they first met. He was a cool athlete with dark, curly hair that he kept short because he didn’t like his curls. He was beyond cute and would make everyone laugh.  He knew he could have any girl he wanted.

 

She was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed quiet nerd in the corner no one noticed because she was always with her nose in a book. At first, when he started to pay attention to her, she thought he liked her friend. She was used to it.  Her friend was beautiful and all the boys were interested in her and more often than not, they used her to get to her friend.

 

But he was different. He liked HER.

 

They started hanging out after school and soon were inseparable. They would lie on a blanket surrounded by tall grass that blew gently in the breeze with nothing in their sight but the endless blue sky. They would talk for hours about anything and everything while planning out the rest of their lives.

 

They fell madly in love.  They were an odd pairing that fit together perfectly like two puzzle pieces.  For them, it was a love like no other. They needed to be together even though everyone said it wouldn’t work.  Her family was the worst, her father especially. They came from wealth.  Her father wanted a better life for his daughter –  better than the one he thought this boy could give her.

 

A few years after high school, they decided to leave town. They saved some money.  They wanted to live like gypsies. They wanted to travel and experience different cultures, sites and sounds. She didn’t want to live her life in the books she read.  She wanted to see what the world had to offer.

 

They headed to New York first.  They had a plan to stay in a hostel and get jobs in each place they visited to support their travels ,but it didn’t end up working out that way.

 

They ran out of money quickly. Everything was so much more expensive in NY and no one would hire them because they didn’t have an address. She couldn’t ask her family for money.  When they left, her dad made sure she knew he would not the one bailing them out. Now the streets are where they call home. They are tired, cold and hungry.  And while they sit asking for a little bit of kindness from strangers, they scour the newspapers, hoping for a break. They just need a little bit money but more often than not, people pass them by without a glance – almost like they don’t exist. They aren’t giving up though.  They have each other and they are not letting go of their dreams.

 

They have love and hope, and that is all that matters…

 

#newyork #street #love #homelessnothopeless#stateofmind #stophomelessness #ipromise#smile #givewhatyoucan#compassion#bethechange