T.A.P. into the Possibilities

Believe that the possibility exists and then make extraordinary things happen.

Tag Archives: Helping Others


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Angels Drive Tow Trucks

Two nights ago, I found myself and my passenger stranded on the Long Beach Freeway. There was an accident earlier and all of the pieces from the accident had not been removed from the freeway. I could see the flares had burned down to low flames. I was watching and I still don’t know where the piece came from that obliterated my tire in less than three seconds.

Mountains are not flat and neither is life. We have our ups and we have our downs. We have our negative experiences and we have our positive experiences. I want to talk about the positive experiences that were created out of a daunting experience.

I am immensely grateful that my passenger was patient, calm, and understanding. I spent over an hour on the phone with the road assistance service and was underwhelmed. My faith was restored when a phenomenal human being named Brian Rosales of City Tow Service came to tow my car. He was very kind and went out of his way to help me. Instead of towing my car to the nearest Just Tires in Long Beach, which would’ve left me stranded there, he towed me all the way to Los Angeles. He parked my car at the Just Tires on Beverly Boulevard and gave me a ride home.

I may not have shown it, but I was extremely overwhelmed and have been for a few days. I have never, in the 42 years that I’ve lived in Los Angeles, been stranded on the freeway, but I have called 911 every time I saw a disabled vehicle. They should know my number by now… Lol.

As we rode from Long Beach to Los Angeles, Brian and I had a deep conversation. I shared my experiences with him, and he felt comfortable enough to share his experiences with me. We have a lot in common, including the passing away of immediate family members. I felt a sense of calm with Brian and I was so grateful that he came to my rescue. He definitely restored my faith in the kindness of the human spirit. Brian has been through tremendous hardships, but he has developed into a empathetic and caring human being. It was nice to be on the receiving end of his compassion.

Thank you, Brian!! You were a lifesaver that night, more than you will ever know. I appreciate your kindness and your willingness to help me. I am grateful that you felt comfortable enough with me to share your story. I want you to know that you are an outstanding person, father, son, brother and friend. It is an honor to know you. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


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James

Have you seen the filter that makes you look like you’re crying and your face is distorted? I went to the gas station to get some gas before I started driving. When I pulled up to the pump, there were two young men talking.

One was a younger man with a British accent, and he was talking to a man who was sitting on the ground next to the pump. I went into the store and when I came out and was walking toward my car, I saw the face of the man who was sitting next to my car. His face was distorted with grief and tears were streaming down his face. He had been crying for a while, because his eyes were red and a little swollen.

I walked over to the man who was sitting on the island ledge and asked him what was wrong. He started to tell me about the people in his life that did not care about him and those who had mistreated him. He told me his name was James and that he was homeless and living in a tent right up the street.

I could feel the weight that he was existing under simply by listening to his voice and watching the expressions wash over his face. It was clear he was in emotional distress, so I tried to help. While I was listening to him talk, the young man with a British accent, bought him a full pizza and a bottle of water.

I asked James what I could do for him and he explained to me that someone had flattened the tire on his bicycle and he had no way to get around. I told him there was a bike shop about three minutes from us and that I would call and see if they were open. I called Mike’s Bike Shop and he was getting ready to close so I explained the situation and he said to meet him in the alley behind his bike shop.

The gentleman who had bought James the pizza also gave him seven dollars because James had googled how much an innertube for a bicycle would cost, but he did not have any money.

We put James’ bicycle in the back of my car and I drove for about three minutes to Mike’s Bike Shop.  As we were driving down Pico Blvd, James looked over and calmly said, “They are stealing stuff from my tent.“ I asked him if he wanted to turn around. He said, “No.” When we arrived at the shop, I pulled the owner over to the side and explained the situation to him. I had five dollars left on my Venmo card and seven dollars left on my PayPal card. That along with the seven dollars that James had was enough to pay for a new innertube.

While James’ bike was being repaired, I asked him if I could have a slice of pizza because I was hungry. He was so gracious and said I could have as many pieces as I wanted, but I only ate one. Once his bike was fixed, I said a prayer for him and I was on my way. As I was driving off, he smiled at me with his hands placed together like he was in prayer and repeated, “God Bless her” over and over. 

I wholeheartedly believe that acts of kindness are permitted to overcome obstacles so that they can come to fruition. It’s the little things that make a difference for a person. Sometimes, all it costs is our time. You never know the ripple effect you can create with an act of kindness so please be kind and thank you for reading my story.


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Learning to Receive

I love doing community outreach. It is so rewarding to see the looks on people’s faces and their reactions when they are inside a moment of kindness. That is what happened to me today when I took my car to Just Tires to get the yearly Lyft California Vehicle Inspection.

When my car was finished and I went back to the receptionist, she informed me that it was $25 and I did not have the cash so I texted my best friend and he sent money via Venmo. Their atmosphere was nice so I was sitting in the lobby enjoying the peace.

Dasiah called me to the counter. When I went over to the counter, she was counting out a stack of one dollar bills and food had just been delivered. I immediately started joking with her. I said, with a smile on my face, “I’ll take a little bit of that food, if you can spare it. She chuckled and kept counting the one dollar bills.

Then I said, “You have enough dollar bills there to hit the strip club” and I laughed loudly. Dasiah kept counting and replied, “These bills are for you. We all chipped in and we are paying your fee for the check-up. I was absolutely stunned and I said, “What…wait…what?!?” I’m not usually speechless, but I was this time.

By then, my friend had sent me the money so I offered to pay for the services and they would not allow me to do that. Their act of kindness really touched my heart and it made me feel very special.

Thank you to my mechanic, Jorge (pictured). Thank you, Just Tires staff (Dasiah, Jorge, Carl, Marco and “anonymous”) for your above-and-beyond customer service. You made my day. 😊


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Going My Way

I had decided to go to the 6:00 a.m. service at Faithful Central Bible Church today, but when I woke up at 5:00 a.m., it was raining, cold and dark and I was still tired so I set my alarm clock for a later time so I could go to the 10:00 a.m. service. On my way to the church, I saw a guy running down La Brea Avenue with his hand in the air as if he was trying to hail a taxi. It was not a taxi, but the bus which moved away from him to the middle lane and kept on moving down the street. I felt that I should give him a ride and I was not worried about being late for church because of it. I turned around and pulled up on his side of the street. I asked him if he was trying to catch the bus and he said, “Yes.” I asked him if I could take him to his destination. He saw the Uber sticker in my window and said, “Are you Uber?” I told him that I was not working and could give him a ride without charging him. He smiled and got into my car. He asked me where I was going and I told him, “I am going to Faithful Central.” I then asked him where he was going and he replied, “The same place.” We both laughed and rode on down the street, talking and laughing. When we arrived, he pulled out $10 and before he could hand it to me, I said, “I can’t take that, just do something nice for someone else, that is how I do it.” He asked, “Is that what you want me to do?” and I said, “Yes, that is how I do it.” He said, “OK and I want you to take this money. That’s how I do it.” I chuckled and accepted his money. We were walking through the parking lot to the church when he stopped and said, “Oh no, I think I left my phone in your car and then he apologized profusely while we were walking back to the car. I kept telling him not to worry because I needed the exercise. We both laughed. He got his phone and we walked back and entered the church with the choir and congregation singing. As I went to my seat, I was grateful that I was in the right place at the right time. May that continue to happen. As for the $10, I am going to get ten single dollar bills and keep them in the door pocket so that when I drive pass people on the street who are asking for money, I don’t have to fumble around in my bag and miss the opportunity to give them their dollar.‪


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One Happy Meal

A few days ago, I was driving home. It was dark and I decided to go to McDonald to get a happy meal (I keep the toys for the kids’ baskets that I make at Christmas). As I drove up, there was a choice of two lanes to drive through. I squinted at the menu and in the first lane there was a woman huddled under the sign clutching her belongings close to her chest. I decided to go to the other ordering station, but while I sat there, I started to feel ashamed. What was wrong with me? I had intentionally avoided someone who was in need. I lost my appetite, but I went through the drive-thru and ordered a happy meal anyway. I circled back around to see if she was still there and she was gone. I shook my head and just sat there. How could I have been so selfish? I was disappointed in myself and then I stopped thinking about myself and did what I do best…find people. I looked over to my left and saw the shadow of a small woman walking slowly through the parking lot with her head held down like she was watching her feet. I secretly prayed this was her. I drove slowly up to her, rolled down my window and asked her if she was hungry. She turned and said she was so I gave her the food. She thanked me for the food and immediately went over and squatted beneath a nearby tree. She looked down, placed her belongings closely beside her and began eating slowly as she looked around in the darkness. You could barely see her squatting there in the shadow of the tree that kept the luminosity of the street light from giving her away. I learned a valuable lesson from that encounter. Sometimes, it does not matter if you hesitate to do something right as long as you do it.


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A Young Man’s Jacket

I went to Oki’s Dog to get some fries because that was all I could afford. While standing inside, I could see a young man outside putting on his jacket in the rain. The young lady behind the counter said, “That man is really nice!” I was curious so I said, “What did he do?” She then smiled and said, “He gave his jacket to the guy standing in the rain.” Just as I started to smile, the young man ordered food for the man to whom he had given his coat. I thought to myself, this is the kind of person I want in my life, someone who is compassionate and in touch with humanity. I walked around to the outside counter and as I got to where he was, he had walked away. I stood there silent and disappointed when suddenly he turned around and smiled at me. I said, “I wished you back to me.” He walked over and I said. “You did a beautiful thing just now and I would be honored to be your friend. Here is my card so we can keep in touch.” He told me that he saw that the man was cold and looked hungry so he gave him his jacket and bought him some food. The interesting thing is, the man to whom he had lent his jacket, protested the offer of food, but the young man insisted and bought him a special. I smiled and told him that I am just like him. Remember, it doesn’t take much to be a blessing to someone. When he sends me a friend request, that will be my blessing.


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A Song for Twenty Strangers

I was standing in line chatting with the customers and humming along with Muzak. When I got up to the window, I heard a very tall and commanding man behind me say, “I thought I heard someone singing.” I turned to him and said with a big smile, “I was humming. You could hear me?” He shook his head in acknowledgement and asked me if I could sing as good as Howard Hewett, who was singing, “This Ring” over the sound system. I smiled at him and said, “Oh, I can sing!” He then said, if you can sing better than Howard, I will give you $20 (wait for it…). The teller was busy typing into the computer so I had time to have the conversation. The man then started to talk about the best fried chicken was…I interrupted and said, “Don’t try to change the subject, I was getting ready to sing.” The people in line laughed and waited for me to begin. I started to sing, “Who’s Loving You,” as I slowly walked toward him and reached for the $20 that he had peeled from a large wad of cash. The people in line were smiling and the tellers were smiling and the manager walked out to listen. The man gave me the $20 after I successfully hit the high note at the end of the song and said, “I bet she didn’t know that she would be getting this $20 at the credit union today.” To which I replied, “No, I didn’t, but I did know that I would receive a blessing today because God is good!”. Everyone looked happy even the people who were standing in line with serious faces before I sang. I walked out waving and said, “I’ll be here all week!” I could hear people laughing as I walked out. As I drove off, a lady was walking to her car and she gave me this huge smile and I smiled back. I have been a member of this credit union since 1981 and this is the first time I have sung in their lobby. Who knows, it might not be the last.


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An Obedient Heart

I had decided to go to the 6:00 a.m. service at Faithful Central Bible Church today, but when I woke up at 5:00 a.m., it was raining, cold and dark and I was still tired so I set my alarm clock for a later time so I could go to the 10:00 a.m. service. On my way to the church, I saw a guy running down La Brea Avenue with his hand in the air as if he was trying to hail a taxi. It was not a taxi, but the bus which moved away from him to the middle lane and kept on moving down the street. I felt that I should give him a ride and I was not worried about being late for church because of it. I turned around and pulled up on his side of the street. I asked him if he was trying to catch the bus and he said, “Yes.” I asked him if I could take him to his destination. He saw the Uber sticker in my window and said, “Are you Uber?” I told him that I was not working and could give him a ride without charging him. He smiled and got into my car. He asked me where I was going and I told him, “I am going to Faithful Central.” I then asked him where he was going and he replied, “The same place.” We both laughed and rode on down the street, talking and laughing. When we arrived, he pulled out $10 and before he could hand it to me, I said, “I can’t take that, just do something nice for someone else, that is how I do it.” He asked, “Is that what you want me to do?” and I said, “Yes, that is how I do it.” He said, “OK and I want you to take this money. That’s how I do it.” I chuckled and accepted his money. We were walking through the parking lot to the church when he stopped and said, “Oh no, I think I left my phone in your car and then he apologized profusely while we were walking back to the car. I kept telling him not to worry because I needed the exercise. We both laughed. He got his phone and we walked back and entered the church with the choir and congregation singing. As I went to my seat, I was grateful that I was in the right place at the right time. May that continue to happen. As for the $10, I am going to get ten single dollar bills and keep them in the door pocket so that when I drive pass people on the street who are asking for money, I don’t have to fumble around in my bag and miss the opportunity to give them their dollar.


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When You Understand Who You Are

When you know who you are and why you were put here on this earth, a source of inner peace takes over. You find happiness in the knowledge that you are here for a purpose and knowing what that purpose is makes you feel better about yourself and inspires you to believe in the phenomenal things you are capable of doing. You begin to believe in the impossible being elevated to the possible and you start to understand that a lot of what we can do lies in our ability to use our strengths and weaknesses as our paths to higher learning and valuable lessons. When we go through challenges, we learn that we should use our trials as a foundation for our triumphs and not let them become catalysts for our failure. When you truly understand who you are, there is power there and with personal power, you can do anything.

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With the Right Heart

I had a very important meeting a few days ago and it went very well. On my way home, I stopped by my favorite chicken place to get some biscuits. Believe it or not, I don’t go for the chicken, but I love the biscuits. When I drove up to the window, I ordered my biscuits with an excitement that I could hardly obtain. Then, I stopped and had the feeling that I should order lunch. I didn’t really want to order from this place, but my stomach reminded me that I was indeed hungry so I ordered a shrimp lunch. When I got to the window, I asked the clerk what came with the meal and she said it came with a biscuit and fries. I didn’t really want the fries so I asked if I could substitute the fries with coleslaw. Her face told me that was going to be a problem so I smiled and said, “The fries are already done, huh? Ok, that’s alright.” She smiled at me and said, “Don’t worry, I will just give the coleslaw to you.” I thanked her and when she handed me the food, I said, “Have a blessed life!” and drove off as she stood at the window smiling.

I still had to get gas so I said lovingly to my car, “I am going to put some gas in you right now. Please don’t strand us.” I came to the next intersection with gas stations on three corners. I reluctantly chose the Shell station (nothing personal. Shell). When I drove up to my pump, I noticed a man asleep against the wall. He had a half bottle of orange juice next to him and crumbled trash bags surrounding him. I now understood why I had bought the food. I walked over to him and without waking him, I placed the food beside him and walked back to my car to continue pumping gas. I prayed to God to make his food invisible to everyone, but him. I did not want anyone to take it. As I pumped my gas, I smiled at the thought of him waking up to a hot meal and then I thought that I should wake him to make sure he knew he had food. I drove by and said, “Excuse me, sir.” He woke up and seemed a little disoriented. I smiled at him and said, “I bought some food for you.” I had to point to the food because he was still waking up. When he looked over to where I was pointing and saw the food, he smiled the most sincere smile and his face looked overjoyed. He immediately opened the box as I drove off around the back of the gas station. Then it hit me, I should give him the bottled water too…but my last two biscuits too?!? I was still hungry, but I drove back around and got out of my car and gave him the water and…yes, my last two precious biscuits (if you only knew…lol), He thanked God and so did I as I drove down La Brea smiling with my stomach growling.