Thank you for oppening my eyes

today i went to my teacher's house. her name is Ms. D and she's so incredible. once every month she asks a small group of people to come to her house and together they make GIGANTIC pots of soup. then they drive out to the worst part of San Jose and they serve soup, Tang, and cookies to the homeless people.
today was the first time i went. i was really scared to be going out to such a bad part of the city and i was incredibly nervous that i was going to be serving homeless strangers. When we arrived and set up i was amazed. these people were drug addicts, alchoholics, and prostitutes but they were all hungry and SUPER happy to see us. i was serving drinks and every time i handed a cup to a dirty, ugly hand the person responded with a smile and a "God bless you". I was really happy. this is the first time i realize that these are not lazy slums. these are people that have had hard lives. they have been abused and treated like dirt all their lives. I spoke to a pregnant girl who told me how much it hurts when people ignore you when you ask for some food or money. she was dressed in a tiny shirt that was covered in dirt and tattered shorts. and she was smoking. pregnant and smoking. she probably didnt know how much that would affect her baby.
Before we left, Gail, one of the woman helping is decided to sing. i was shocked when a man magically appeared with a rusty, old ukele. he sang a song by bob marley. the verses said "dont worry because every little thing is going to be alright". I was soooooo amazed. here he was, singing this to these homeless, dirty people. this man opened my eyes. i wish he knew how happy he made me. then i saw another man offer half of his bowl of soup to an elderly lady who had arrived after the food ran out. Just as we were getting ready to leave an old woman with huge circles under her eyes came over to Ms. D and mumbled " thank you. i was hungry and you made it ok". i felt like crying after that.
I dont know if these people know how much they have affected me. they have helped me to be so much more grateful. thank you for showing me that i am one of the luckiest people on earth. i hope i have helped their lives because they have helped mine.