Presence

Today Dorian and I volunteered at the soup kitchen with our fellow Kiwanians.

It’s a simple system. Guests move through the line and choose what they’d like on their plate. We serve them. A rhythm forms quickly- plate, scoop, smile, “thank you,” repeat.

I was handing out drinks. Dorian was handing out plasticware. There were more than enough volunteers. Then he looked at me and asked if he could step out of line, get a plate, and sit with one of the men in the dining room.

I hesitated. But there was something in his voice and in his eyes. He didn’t just want to serve food. He wanted to sit down.

So I let him.

For twenty minutes, he gave that man his full attention. Undivided. No phone. No rushing. Just listening. Nodding. A few quiet responses here and there, but mostly listening.

He was present.

When he came back, he simply said, “He was a cool guy.”

Meanwhile, the line kept moving. One woman shared that she had been walking all night and just needed somewhere to sit down. Another talked quietly about trying to get enough protein when coming back for seconds. Small comments. Matter-of-fact truths about how hard things can be.

A young mom came in with her baby. When the baby smiled, you could see two tiny bottom teeth just coming in. It’s easy to forget how hard life can be for some people. Easy to move quickly through a serving line and think you’ve done your part.

Serving food matters. But today I was reminded that presence matters too.

Dorian served food today. But more importantly, he sat down.

And maybe that’s one of the most meaningful things we can offer another person- our undivided attention and a few moments of being seen.

This morning, over breakfast, someone told me that people trust me because I’m present with them. I didn’t think much of it at the time. But watching Dorian today, I realized presence might be one of the simplest and most powerful ways we can show up in the world.