I Gave My Late Husband’s Jacket to a Freezing Veteran — A Week Later, I Got an Email Titled ‘Regarding the Incident Outside the Grocery Store’

I almost didn’t notice him at first.

It was late afternoon, the kind of winter cold that sneaks under your clothes and settles into your bones. I was loading groceries into my trunk when I saw him sitting on the low brick wall near the cart return. He looked older than me, though not by much. A veteran’s cap sat low on his head, and his hands were bare, red from the cold.

What I noticed most was his jacket—or rather, the lack of one.

I hesitated. I always did. I told myself the same things everyone tells themselves: Someone else will help. Maybe he doesn’t want help. What if it’s a scam?

Then I thought of my husband. Continue reading…