Tramp Collects Money for Food for Children, One Day a Man Learns These Are Not Children at All – Story of the Day

Tom was a reasonably successful realtor in the city, and one day, he saw a homeless man begging for money for his children. He gave him a few dollars and continued to do so every time he passed him. But then someone told Tom that the man didn't have any children so he confronted the liar, only to discover something shocking.

Tom became a real estate agent in Florida because he had a knack for selling things. He knew people, understood what they wanted, and it always pleased them when they bought a house from him.

Moreover, he particularly enjoyed it when a couple became homeowners and started their journey in life. It gave him hope for the future, mainly because of his past.

His marriage had not worked out, and it left him feeling like love didn't exist. Perhaps, people are only meant to love for a while and then move on. But every new couple with bright eyes and enchanted expressions changed his mind every day. It was the best part of his job.

One day, Tom had just finished showing one such couple a new house. They were going to decide and call him in a few days with an offer. He was sure they would purchase it and he only needed to wait.

"Prove it," Tom challenged. The man raised his eyebrows and gestured for Tom to follow.

He took the bus home that day because his car was in the shop for some repairs. The bus dropped him just a few blocks away from his home, so he walked the rest of the way. As he was nearing his home, he saw a man begging for some money. He grazed his pockets for some cash to give to the man, who also got him curious.

"Hey, man. How are you today?" Tom asked, putting the money on the little cup that the man had placed on the ground. People often ignored the homeless and needy, and sometimes, they needed to receive a little kindness.

"Hello, sir. Thank you so much. I'm doing alright, I guess. How about you?" the man replied, smiling at Tom and noting his great suit and pleasant smile.

"May I ask why you're begging for money today?" Tom wondered. He wasn't trying to be rude, but he was always curious.

"I need to feed my children, sir. This is a huge help. Thank you," he replied, grinning and nodding his head.

Tom nodded back, bid him good luck, and went on his way. He felt great about helping out, but he hoped there was more he could do. It was hard to help everyone, and it killed him that there were many of them who needed help in the country.

Therefore, for the rest of the week, Tom made it a point to give the man some cash and bring him food when he passed him by.

Meanwhile, the couple he was sure would buy the house decided to pass on it, so he kept meeting with other interested buyers, and realized it might take a while to sell. He didn't mind it though. Money was getting tight but he kept on donating to the homeless man as much as he could.

But one day, he stopped at the newsstand on his street and the owner asked him something odd. "Why do you always give that man money?"

"Well, he has to feed his family, sir. That's why," he responded, pursing his lips.

"But that man doesn't have a family. His wife kicked him to the curb years ago, and they never had kids," the owner revealed and laughed at Tom's naivety.

Tom walked away feeling rattled. He supposed it wasn't strange for homeless people to lie to incite sympathy from people, but it felt wrong to lie about having kids to feed, so he walked to where he knew the man was begging for money and confronted him.

"I know you don't have children. Stop lying to people. If you need a job, I can help you. This is just wrong," Tom said, his anger surfacing by the second.

The homeless man stood up with his hands raised in defense. "Hey, man. I'm not lying at all. I swear."

"Prove it," Tom challenged. The man raised his eyebrows and gestured for Tom to follow.

The realtor frowned as he followed the homeless man and felt increasingly bad about his outburst. He didn't know this man's story and it wasn't his business if the man was lying, so he hesitated. "Hey, man. I'm sorry about my outburst earlier. It's—"

"We're here. Come in," the man said, pointing towards a rundown shack on an empty lot. Tom frowned and followed, curious about this now. He couldn't believe his eyes when he got inside.

There were at least ten dogs around the area, and they all gathered around the man, wagging their tails and looking happy to see him. Some were wounded, some looked starved, and others were afraid of Tom. But they all seemed to love the man, who turned to Tom and spoke sincerely.

"My name is Adam, and years ago, my wife threw me out of the house when I started rescuing dogs. She didn't understand, and I didn't have the best job in the world. But I did what I could. I consider these dogs my kids, and they need to eat too," he explained, shrugging his shoulders.

Tom felt ashamed of his actions. Dogs were not human, but he had many friends who loved their pets like their own kids. He respected people who could care for a defenseless animal with all the love in their hearts.

"I actually have a job at night at a construction site," Adam continued. "But what I earn there isn't enough, so I have to beg for money. I hope you understand now."

Tom apologized profusely for what he said and petted some of the dogs that approached him. He sat down with Adam and they talked further until he decided to take one of the dogs home with him so he could care for it. He also began talking to animal shelters and other people, hoping they would help Adam and his dogs. Some people came through with food, medicines, new toys, and accessories for the dogs.

A few vets in the area volunteered to help some of the wounded ones, and Tom was able to hook Adam up with a rescue organization for dogs. Soon, most of Adam's dogs found new homes while Tom helped Adam find a better housing situation within his price range.

Adam continued helping dogs and cats for the rest of his life, and Tom never judged another person without knowing the whole story ever again.

What can we learn from this story?

• Help others whenever you can. Tom had some spare change in his pocket, so he decided to help out the beggar as much as possible, thinking it was for a good cause.
• Heroes come in all shapes and forms, but those who help others even when they have nothing are even more remarkable. Adam had little to offer and earned almost nothing at work, but he still dedicated his life to helping defenseless animals.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a homeless man who discovered a newborn baby in an alley and met him again years later.

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