The Elevator

When I got in the elevator at my office this morning, I was greeted by several flattened cardboard boxes and a few plastic bags of random food items. I learned a few moments later that a homeless woman had been sleeping the elevator at night and had left only moments before.

Even though this setup is likely to end soon once the owners of the building decide how to handle it, the sight of this small encampment saddened me. Even Southern California nights are cold, and this woman needed to be inside. I do not know her, but I wonder who she is and how she got to the point where she needs to sleep in an elevator at night. She is someone’s daughter and possibly someone’s mother, wife or sister.

After seeing the elevator this morning, I know that I will say a prayer of gratitude when I crawl into bed tonight under a warm blanket.