We met an individual on the train who felt instantly inclined to tell Uch to stay in school; that is was something he didn’t do. Everyone around us was ignoring him, in proper NY style. Even Matt kept his eyes fixed on his phone. This man’s eyes seemed soft, but his shell seemed hard. He looked like he could have been Native- something about him made it impossible for me to ignore him- he felt like family. He told me about his two daughters, who had grown up to be humans he was proud of. I could see how his eyes lit up when he spoke about them. He told me that he had tried to leave the city a couple of times to live with his brother and start over. But the city kept calling him back; he was a musician, and his heart was happier paying $1k a month to live in someone’s freezing garage in Manhattan. I asked him where he was headed, and he told me he was on the way to a funeral. Very gently, he said to me that his ex, a couple of weeks back, stepped off the subway platform and ended her life. I saw the water start to swell up in his eyes. His pain was palatable. I told him I was sorry and would pray for him, and he just smiled back at me. Just then the doors of the train opened, and we were at our stop. I said my goodbyes, but I haven’t been able to shake the memory of his face in my mind. Uch reached for my hand, and as we exited the train, she asked me why everyone was ignoring him. It reminded me of when I was a child and how my family members would treat other family members who struggled with mental health and drug abuse. As if humans in pain deserve less respect, or if we ignore it, it’ll just all go away. I told Uchu that we are all human and that the man on the train is someone’s dad, someone’s son. That there is no difference between him and us. I made her promise me that she would never look through a human in need as others were doing on that train. I saw something click in her brain and I hope she grows up and remembers that moment. There is a story behind every person. There is a reason why they are the way they are. Listen. If you have the power to make someone happy today, do it. Because if anything, the world needs more of that.