Today, my wife and I were shopping at Big Lots when a man quietly approached me.
He didn’t ask for money.
He didn’t ask for food.
He asked for soap, a loofah, and deodorant.

He explained, honestly and humbly, that he had just been released from jail. He was homeless, trying to start over, and just wanted to clean himself up.

I didn’t hesitate—not for a second.

I told him, “Go get what you need. I’ve got you.”

Because I’ve been there.

I remember the day I walked out of prison—no clothes except what I was wearing, no money, no place to go. I remember the feeling of being lost in a world that had moved on without me. If it hadn’t been for my incredible mom, who bought me hygiene products and clothes, and my grandmother, who let me stay with her—I truly don’t know where I’d be today.

So when I saw this man, I didn’t see a stranger.
I saw me, just a few years ago.

After we checked out, I gave him a ride. I shared my story. I told him it can get better. I encouraged him to keep pushing, keep believing, and to never give up. I could hear in his voice—it meant something. It mattered.

And maybe, just maybe, that moment changed something for him the way someone once changed it for me.

I believe we all cross paths for a reason.
I believe in second chances.
I believe in leading with kindness.
I believe God puts people in our lives not by accident, but by purpose.

You never know how far a little compassion can go.
Sometimes, the smallest gesture—a bar of soap, a kind word, a car ride—can plant the seed for someone’s comeback.

I’ve lived it.
And I’ll keep paying it forward. 🙏❤️