In today’s society, most people usually just pass by others who are sitting by themselves. People tend to ignore others who just don’t stand out enough. But in reality, they might have the most interesting life you’ve ever heard of. That’s why I believe in the word “Hello”. In the dictionary, “Hello” can be described as a greeting, but to me, it’s a gateway to an amazing journey where nothing, from the other person, can be expected. “Hello” is the start of a new adventure.

When I was about six or seven years old, I would walk to my mother’s workplace, a retirement home, just around the corner of my school. I remember walking up a ramp-like sidewalk, passing my mother's co-workers, smiling as I went along. As I walked inside, my mother greeted me and walked me upstairs. That’s when I met Doris. Doris is a nice, elderly woman, with white curly hair. When I first met Doris, I instantly knew how kind she was by the way she smiled while she talked. It was almost like she was radiating kindness. Little did I know how close she would become to me.

As we began talking more, we became close. She would invite me over for dinner on Thanksgiving with her family, I even had a birthday party there! We’d play games like Sorry! or Chinese Checkers, and we’d talk with each other. I still remember every time we played Chinese Checkers, she always chose the brightest color she could see, red. Every day I went to her room, she always asked about my school day, what I did, if I had fun. Even at such a young age, I knew she cared. Since my actual grandmother lives in Mexico, I thought of Doris as my second grandmother. I developed a family-like connection with Doris. Despite Doris’ impaired eyesight, she always was a thoughtful and caring woman; she used to make blankets for a store that would use the money for a good cause. I remember seeing her feel her way around the blanket for each pin. This task wasn’t as easy as it seemed, as Doris would ask my mother for help in getting the thread through the needle.

Doris was so close to us, some things became routine; since Doris’ room was right next to my mom’s utility closet, every morning that Doris heard my mom’s cart move, she would knock on the wall and my mom would knock back as a way of saying “Hello” or “Good Morning”.  It was never that we were just taking care of Doris, it was more than that, Doris is part of our family and she has a special place in our hearts. When I was about nine years old, Doris came to my school's open house. My mom went to her work and picked her up and they came walking a short distance to my school. We walked around my classroom describing my  projects to her.

As you can tell from my story, I met a wonderful person, who at first I knew nothing about, then she became more than a friend, she became family. From strangers to family with the use of one word, “Hello”. So, instead of ignoring the man sitting at the bus stop, or that lonely lady in the grocery store, say “Hello” and have your own adventure.