I had a beautiful Christmas, full of laughter and light. But through it all, I kept wondering about the woman on the sidewalk.
She is camped out on a busy street just a few blocks from my house in west-end Toronto. She sits on one of those folding camp chairs with her back to a small tree. Her feet rest on a second chair. Layers of blankets and sleeping bags cover her from head to foot.
She has been there – or spots nearby – for months. Day after day, night after night, in all weathers, she sits silent and unmoving in the same place. She wears a big hood and a vest that covers her neck and mouth, so only her eyes are visible – wary, watching. If it rains or snows, she raises an umbrella and holds it on her lap.
