For a couple of months as I was driving to work I would see an elderly man sitting outside and he'd wave to me every single morning. It was always dark out, sometimes it would be raining and sometimes it would be chilly. He was always there and I always waved back.

For the past week or so he has not been outside. I have been wondering what happened to him. It's strange how he was a part of my morning routine and I didn't know anything about him. His name could be George or Scott or Tom. He might have family and friends, or he could be all alone. I cannot even describe his looks very well. Yet I was getting used to his presence.

I don't know who to ask about him. I like to think he's on vacation or visiting family somewhere. I hope that he is okay and that he returns.

Think about how many people are in your life that you don't really know. Maybe we should all take a little extra time to stop and say hello to the quiet person who blends in, ask the old man who has coffee every morning at the gas station how he is, tell the woman she is wearing a lovely shade of blue. If we would subtract all these strangers from our lives, we might be surprised at what we're missing. If we take a moment to say hello, we might be surprised at what we gain.