This spring, I was lucky enough to be able to go on an amazing trip around Europe. Even better, I got to see the Notre Dame Cathedral - an amazing experience for a devout Catholic.
As I was taking pictures outside and waiting for my turn to enter, I noticed a woman begging by the main door. She was kneeling with a coffee cup, covered in a multitude of old and worn shawls. She seemed to be in pain and didn't even have the strength to ask each of the thousands of people who walked by - she just held up her little cup.
I watched, utterly shocked, as tourist after tourist totally ignored her. She was so tiny and frail, I wondered if people even saw her among the rich beauty of the church they were about to enter. So as my turn approached, I slipped a 20 euro note into her cup.
As I entered the church, I barely heard a quiet "God bless you." Her blessing meant more than all the stained-glass beauty of that Cathedral. To this day, when I am down, I remember the woman who had so little and who gave a wonderful blessing to a girl who already had so much.
