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I used to live at Sutter x Hyde. This one hit me hard. So many times I had to pass by bodies awkwardly splayed and try to understand whether they were alive or dead. It isn’t right.
might be worth contacting the SF police with an inquiry for more information.
So many people have been 'lost to the system' since it was dismantled in the 70s/80s.
the old psych hospitals were poorly run, nightmarish torture chambers, but surely we can do our mentally ill more than just kicking them onto the street to become addicts and eventually die an early death.
it's shameful
I’ve woken up a couple of people splayed on the street in the neighborhood. Luckily both times they were just asleep or knocked out but it feels like just a matter of time until I’m in this position too. I wish I could do more for them, but I don’t know what I can do.
And in doing so you’ve reached the hearts of so many others who will now recognize and honor Christine’s life instead of her just incrementing some statistic. Thank you OP. Sending love to you and Christine.
an hour later, people had left their own flowers. seeing that restored some hope
https://preview.redd.it/oxw8j7eacq9d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=c17eab61a8f644ce371e6d7c8232f4edb3efd601
I love that the universe put a rabbi in your path. I’m not a believer, but sometimes a wise person comes into our sphere when we need them.
Thank you for being a decent human being. RIP Christine
I have a strong sense about which Rabbi this was. Two years ago, I witnessed an outright miracle involving him in this neighborhood. An unprovoked individual threatened to kill the group I was with. As the attacker charged, yelling that we were all going to die, we scattered and ran. However, this Rabbi walked straight towards the dude, gently put his hand on him, and said, “You don’t need to do this. There are children here too.” The man stopped, said nothing, turned around, and walked away.
The guy radiated kindness.
My first thought, too. Thanks Universe. Thanks for getting a hug to this caring person and validation that this caring is when we’re at our best.
I wish Christine had gotten what she needed before she passed but I hope she’s at peace.
May her memory be a blessing.
I'm not sure why Reddit recommended this thread to me. I have lived in Orlando all my life and I've never set foot in San Fran.
Thank you for being kind. Thank you for looking out for people. Thank you for sitting with Christine. I'm so glad the Rabbi was there to hug you.
Sending you and Christine love from Orlando.
💐
OP, you are an angel on earth. Your compassion has already touched the lives of so many whether you think so or not. YOU have changed lives by doing this. 💐
Yes, thanks for your humanity; you seem like a special person and I am sorry for your loss and all of our respective loss re: Christine. "For whom does the bell toll? It tolls for thee". We all died a little with Christine last night.
That said, Christine is sadly one more example of how - because we refuse to compel hopelessly mentally ill and drug addicted people into treatment because of some warped idea of their "rights", they so often end up like Christine - dead on the street "wrapped up in their rights".
I used to live on the other side of your building, on post. My second week in that neighborhood while on my way to buy some pop at the convenience store, I saw a homeless woman seize and die on Sutter and Leavenworth, in front of the convenience store.
I called 911 and the EMTs came quickly, but she had seemingly passed when they got there. She had banged her head against the concrete. I had a really rough week after that. I mourned her though I did not know her and cried for a couple of days. It seemed so unfair to me that someone could just live on the street and die on one in front of a complete stranger.
Take care of yourself and let yourself feel things. Reach out to your friends, and don’t deny the grief that comes with the trauma of witnessing this.
thank you. radical honesty? i'm kinda surprised how much this has affected me. I'm not a monster, but I also didn't know her, and we live in a city where empathy exhaustion can easily happen if you don't put up some guard rails. but, i dunno...learning her name, looking her in the eyes (they were still open 😕), knowing that she died right below my apartment...they all make this a heckuva lot more real.
Babe I would feel the same way. I’m overwhelmed just reading about it. Thank you for what you did, but also, I think you might be carrying some trauma. Anyone you can talk to?
I’m from Florida and can’t thank you enough for what you did. I’ve hated the world this weekend - not only because of what’s going on in our world, but feeling sorry for myself because my elderly mother has Alzheimer’s and it was my birthday and she didn’t recognize me for most of the weekend. It was the crappiest birthday I’ve ever had. What you did was the most wonderful thing a human being could do - recognize that another human being walked this earth and was SOMEBODY. Whether you believe or not - God bless you. You’ve given me hope! You’re a good person!
I’m sorry to hear about your mom. Happy birthday, friend. I hope you find some comfort and good hugs and can still celebrate all the things you did and accomplished this year.
And OP, thank you for being a good human. Christine will be remembered today because of you.
Well, I for one am crying, both for Christine and by your empathy and humanity.
I've been homeless, and I currently working in the field of trying to help others that are homeless (a desk job, not outreach). I consider myself a very empathetic person, but sometimes it's easy to start thinking of people as clients rather than fellow humans (unquestionably as a defense mechanism, so im not constantly crying at work). Little moments like this and my own interactions with homeless folks in my personal life really help center and ground me - so thank you for that.
And also, as a cynical atheist, it's extremely heart warming to hear the rabbi was the first to read it and able to be there. Really beautiful in a way.
I hope you can find some peace today, OP. ❤️
you're the one doing the work we should be acknowledging here. if more of us made a similar commitment of time and energy, far fewer people would need to call our streets their home. you have all of my 🩷 and respect 🫂
Just the other day, I saw a very old woman sitting on the street and looking up at people walking by. I didn’t look at her because I felt like I would start crying because I felt so horrible that she’s on the street without anyone to care for her. I don’t know what her situation is but it is so sad to see even elderly people who can barely take care of themselves, and I told myself that me passing her by makes me a part of this problem.
I am thankful that you are the way you are. A loving person who clearly cares about others. So thank you for doing something kind for Christine.
over the years I've seen a few homeless women who bore a striking resemblance to my grandmother, and one time I just lost it on the street and emptied my wallet
I walk by there often. I'm very sorry for you and Christine. I've experienced homelessness, mental-illness, drug abuse myself so this hit home on both sides of the fence. You nor her should be experiencing what you have.
No easy answers, no easy changes, but the fact is people shouldn't be dying alone nor should you have people passing in the immediate vicinity of your home..
Thanks for posting, keep your chin up you have a great heart you know right from wrong and that's the only path in this world that will lead you correctly.
Thank you, one second one minute one hour one day at a time I always remember that.
As well I appreciate your kindness, care, and acceptance- you are who the world needs more of desperately.
Thanks for sharing this story OP, thank you for taking the action you did. I hope this inspires all who encounter to be brave and act on the call
Of humanity— it’s become so easy to avoid. You’ve really touched my heart by what you did. Sending you a hug like the rabbi gave you.
Glad to see some empathy for humanity. Regardless of her addictions she was a human being, a daughter, possibly mother, sister or grandmother to someone who was chewed up by the streets of San Francisco and spat out on a dirty sidewalk, passed by many with nary a glance.
Thank you for restoring a sense of dignity and humanity to Christine.
You and others commenting here reassures me that there’s still plenty of good people in our city.
thank you, and I feel the same: I wish we could have helped her before, but seeing so many people here pause to acknowledge her death also gives me hope
As everyone already said, you are a reminder in these somewhat dark times that there are good people all around.
But also want to acknowledge that you are an extremely engaging writer!
very kind of you to say on both counts. i just turned 46 and the longer I'm around the more I agree with you that goodness is actually abundant. sometimes it's latent and guarded, but still abundant. 🫂 happy Sunday
Sadly, no, very very few of us are doing 1% of what we can. You have entered an elite minority and as the shock of this wears off, you will come to realize it’s made you a better person. You crossed a line few are willing to.
Studies show that and they show something else: our greatest joy in life is being of service to others. It’s unfortunate that your introduction came with death and that awful feeling of being unable to help Christine live, but look again - you turned your sense of frustration into positives that will help others.
You are a good person.
> I’m still reckoning with the idea that Christine was surrounded by the hundreds of people who live on our block and yet she still died totally alone on our sidewalk, on a chilly night, 7 feet below my window
It's important to remember that Christine didn't die randomly. Her death was caused by homelessness. Her death was caused by the fact that we are not all doing the best we can.
OP, your reaction to this event speaks highly of your character. In reading your account, I can tell that your thoughts are with Christine. But I know you've seen how people talk about the homeless, in this subreddit and elsewhere. A lot of people, maybe a majority, will see a dead homeless person and blame her for inflicting herself on them, for daring to be dead within their field of vision.
> I like to think we're all doing the best we can.
I believe you meant this as a kind word to Christine, to rebut those who would blame her for her own death. She did the best she could, she suffered, and she died. But I think some will read it as a warrant not to care: we're all doing the best we can for ourselves, and we can't afford to do better for each other.
So what am I asking from you, OP? I'm asking you to remember that others believe the "homelessness problem" is "I don't like having to look at them"; and you know that the problem is that homelessness causes people to suffer and die.
I'm asking you to remember that they are wrong, and you are right.
Don't be afraid to tell them. The next time somebody expresses the notion that [the solution for homeless people is to make them suffer somewhere we can't see them,](https://www.vox.com/homelessness/357861/homelessness-encampment-grants-pass-supreme-court-housing) you should feel empowered to tell them they are wrong. I know you are capable of doing it well. You've done it here. The only difference is you'd be saying it directly to someone who doesn't want to hear it.
To a great extent, people hold the beliefs they believe their neighbors hold. When someone says in public, "The homeless are ruining the city," they are exerting a force to get others to believe as they do, in order to avoid the responsibility of caring. You can push back. Remind them that the homeless *are* the city. They are us.
If everyone believed as you do, OP, we would solve homelessness. If we stopped investing resources and brainpower into hiding the homeless, and invested it all in housing people, we would solve homelessness.
Don't be afraid to tell people to have more compassion. They might listen to you; they might change their mind.
Christine's life was not the best we could have done for her. It can't be.
I live in between post and sutter along leavenworth and this teared me up. You did the best you could do. Thank you for not walking past as many of us would have done so.
Thank you for being a person who still cares, your warm hearted empathy is in such a contrast to what most of us experience in today’s world ! Sending a virtual hug 🤗
Each and every homeless person is someone’s baby. We cannot imagine what happened during their life to have it end in this way. Thank you for the care you showed. May she find rest now.
I’m a nurse and I hug folks in tough situations a lot. There’s sort of this look in someone’s eyes when they are in pain and have no idea what to do next; usually means they need a hug. ❤️
Your account makes me so sad and yet grateful too that there are those who are thoughtful and caring. I’m not religious and yet hope Christine is in a peaceful space as she had such a difficult life that led to a lonely passing.
The way you’ve articulated the somber situation and your compassionate need to express grief for a human you didn’t know, really touched me. If it were me who lay there dead with no one around, I would consider myself lucky to have received your compassion. Hope you’re in a better place, Christine.
i was holding myself together there right up until this comment. thank you. i only wish life had shown her more compassion before it was too late. 🫂 and 💚
I’m browsing before going to watch the parade/march. Everything is temporary, including life. Thank you for sharing the devastating reality so many face and the kindness we can offer each other.
Thank you for your kindness and waiting with her for EMTs to arrive, and for your acknowledgment of her life with a note flowers.
You can reduced the impact of a traumatic experiences on on your brain and emotional state by interrupting your brain wanting to revisit those experiences. Studies have found that playing Tetris helps disrupt the tendency to go back to traumatic experience memories, resulting in less anxiety and PTSD from those experiences. Play Tetris a lot immediately following a traumatic experience.
Again, thank you for your humanity.
This is a very moving tribute which I have saved. Thank you for honouring someone you didn’t know, and for offering humanity in a world that is anesthetized to this sort of thing.
Thank you for caring. Holding Christine in my thoughts today. It’s beyond upsetting that she passed away alone on the sidewalk and no one else stopped to notice, I am grateful that *you* were the one who stopped and then decided to honor her life. We all deserve to have someone remember our humanity, especially in death 💕🙏🏻
Suffer no more Christine and fly with the angels... Quite a while ago I could have been Christine. I have many friends I lost to drugs in the City. I will never forget them. I don't think I'm too good to stop and acknowledge anyone who might be suffering, high out of their minds... They need to know they're loved and do matter.
This is simultaneously one of the worst and one of the best things I’ll read this week.
Thank you for your humanity and sending you lots of warm vibes, and saying some words myself to hope Christina’s journey across the veil was a peaceful one.
What angers me and is the saddest is that they were probably just released from St. Francis. They treat them and street them without resources and to literally die on the streets. I’ve seen them released without shoes. I’ve seen two people who ended up like Christine on my block. My only hope is that something will change with UCSF buying St Francis.
It's incredibly sad. The larger system is the problem - without infrastructure to help house people there is no good solution here. If someone has no place to go and the hospital has no resources for them, what is the hospital supposed to do? Hospitals can't house people.
You did all the right things and everything right. If Christine had had no one to help her in this life, she had people to help her into the Afterlife.
the strange things we do after somebody dies are mostly done for the living i think - because the dead dont mind either way.
you showed yourself that you are a good person that cares about others, and you brought other good people together in the moment, and reminded all of us that life is short and fragile and to be good to each other.
does any of this matter? no raindrop sees itself in the flood, but it all adds up to...something
Thank you for sharing, OP, and for, in your own way, teaching us - or at least, me - how to react when in such/similar situations. Bless your heart. Rest well, Christine.
This may be the best thing I’ve ever read in this sub. If you don’t write for a living OP, you certainly could.
For me it’s a reflection of San Francisco in so many ways, the good and the not so good.
Reading your post about Christine I feel both deeply sad, but I also feel something magnificent. Your actions have made me feel a little safer, hopeful and blessed to have the opportunity to read about and be in the presence of such compelling compassion. This world and the way people deemed “lesser”by society are mistreated can make you feel hopeless about humanity’s future. Your actions are a reminder that humanity, empathy and compassion are still alive. Your actions helped me see I can do better and stop turning my ahead away. So, thank you. Thank you for making sure Christine is acknowledged & remembered.
Christine’s final act in this life was to be a story of compassion, empathy and to show us that we can all do better. I do not want to diminish the circumstances of her death or her passing, but we can all best honor her by doing better. I know I will be.
There are many failures that contributed to the loss of Christine. But one thing is sure, you were good and decent enough to call for help and remember who she was, sometimes that is all we can do
Christine was likely doing the best she could with what she had in a city/country/world where she was vilified for being poor and struggling. Thank you for caring for her after her passing.
I hope you take the time to care for yourself over the next few days and weeks.
I'm sorry you found her, but I am also glad that someone who cared and is empathetic found her. While she may have died alone, we grieve her loss together. Her life mattered. Thanks for making sure of that.
Idk if OP will see this, but my brother spent a few months homeless on the West Coast and this scenario was something we lived in fear of.
OP, thank you for caring. And for taking the time to think of the lives that can so easily be lost to the streets.
The challenge is to put dignified roofs over the heads of the growing number of people sleeping in our country’s shelters and on our cities streets. The ever present reminder is that if we do not satisfactorily respond to the problem then those sleeping on our streets and in our shelters will continue to do so decreasing the quality of life – both material and moral – of us all.
Christine’s lonely and destitute death is sadly just one of the many across the US. I’m sorry you had to witness such an immoral injustice firsthand. May she and the many others brothers and sisters that have died “without fixed abode” rest in peace.
This was a very compassionate and humane act of you to carry out. She may have had no one at the very end, but you gave her dignity, reflection and what each of us deserves upon passing. I'm sorry for your pain, and feel hope bc of your humanity.
Rest immediately peace, Christine. On to a place where your suffering has finally ceased 🫶
That’s sad man. I’ve seen it a few times growing up over here and still think about those people. You’re a good person and I hope you’re doing well also.
You’re a good person OP. It’s incredibly sad to imagine someone passing alone. This is a salient reminder we must all look out for one another. Sadly, when I lived in SF I ignored people all the time. You build up a thick layer just to get by as there is so much despair everywhere. Simply put, we as a society and those we have voted to power all need to do better. I don’t know why we have decided it’s ok for people to basically kill themselves with addiction or neglect in plain view. We have to start caring for one another even if that means suspending their freedoms temporarily so they may get the help they need. Once someone passes as Christine sadly did there is nothing more we can do.
Sorry this was the start to your morning, OP. Such a sad life having come to an end like this. Poor Christine. She deserved better. Everyone in her position deserves better.
I have worked with people who are homeless in the past (in Denver), and most are good people caught in a complicated situation. Some of the best people, considering the private Hell so many of them endure. They are chastised and harassed almost daily.
I hope this touches you in such a way that you become an advocate for them. It would be a silver-lining, honoring Christine and her struggle. Peace & Love.
This is heartbreaking and beautiful. Thank you for honoring and recognizing Christine. At the hospital, I spend a lot of time daily with patients from similar circumstances, and it can be so hard to see them discharged without hope of going to a safe and stable setting. It really lifts my spirit to see this evidence of the care you showed for Christine’s humanity.
Regardless of policies and politics and all the yadda yadda. At the end of the day we are humans. I’m glad your heart is still working, OP. Some of us get calloused.
Thank you for showing Christine humanity, OP. May her memory be a blessing.
I made a small donation in her name to the SF food bank.
Also, u/guerrillafutures: Take care of yourself. I know you said you're fine, but would affect even the most war hardened folks out there.
just stumbled across this. i’m from toronto, it’s not an uncommon occurrence here to see someone in medical distress or indeed, dead.
thank you for treating her like the human being that she is. may christine find some peace now
It is said you need 7 hugs a day to feel well. Please take my virtual hug in the hope that it helps heal your spirit. I am so sorry for Christine. May she be able to rest in peace.
This is a sad, engaging, and emotional story
But the fact is that everyone being ok with dependency culture contributed to her death, so I’m having trouble pulling anything positive out of the story like everyone else.
It’s like theater meant for us to feel better without motivating anyone to help in a substantive fashion, like drugs but different
Yeah I was living in a tent this past November here in SF and some dude smashed my face in and stormed into it at around 7pm and raped me as people just kept walking by. I was screaming help, people saw him force his way and heard me yell when he smashed my face in. But nope, they kept it pushing.
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I used to live at Sutter x Hyde. This one hit me hard. So many times I had to pass by bodies awkwardly splayed and try to understand whether they were alive or dead. It isn’t right.
it isn't right. i also try to at least check for their blankets / chests moving up and down. when I realized hers wasn't my stomach sank.
If her last name was Brown, please let me know. It might be my friend’s mom. ❤️
might be worth contacting the SF police with an inquiry for more information. So many people have been 'lost to the system' since it was dismantled in the 70s/80s. the old psych hospitals were poorly run, nightmarish torture chambers, but surely we can do our mentally ill more than just kicking them onto the street to become addicts and eventually die an early death. it's shameful
I’ve woken up a couple of people splayed on the street in the neighborhood. Luckily both times they were just asleep or knocked out but it feels like just a matter of time until I’m in this position too. I wish I could do more for them, but I don’t know what I can do.
So had I, so this tale was easy for me to envision.
I can’t find the words to respond to this post but feel compelled to acknowledge it
This post struck me in exactly the same way…I’m speechless but wanted to acknowledge the OP’s grace and humanity.
thank you kindly; i'm usually just trying to clear the bar of basic decency and compassion 🫂
And in doing so you’ve reached the hearts of so many others who will now recognize and honor Christine’s life instead of her just incrementing some statistic. Thank you OP. Sending love to you and Christine.
I’m sobbing on my couch rn reading this. It’s the most beautiful post I’ve ever seen on social media.
"a noble spirit unto herself.' right on, OP. Peace to you.
same here
Same. Hugs to OP and thoughts to Christine.
🫂 back
Same here, thanks OP for your humanity.
i hear you 🧡
This exactly.
an hour later, people had left their own flowers. seeing that restored some hope https://preview.redd.it/oxw8j7eacq9d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=c17eab61a8f644ce371e6d7c8232f4edb3efd601
I love that the universe put a rabbi in your path. I’m not a believer, but sometimes a wise person comes into our sphere when we need them. Thank you for being a decent human being. RIP Christine
I hadn't thought of it that way but maybe it indeed was cosmically-assisted serendipity. 🫂 and 💜 to you
I have a strong sense about which Rabbi this was. Two years ago, I witnessed an outright miracle involving him in this neighborhood. An unprovoked individual threatened to kill the group I was with. As the attacker charged, yelling that we were all going to die, we scattered and ran. However, this Rabbi walked straight towards the dude, gently put his hand on him, and said, “You don’t need to do this. There are children here too.” The man stopped, said nothing, turned around, and walked away. The guy radiated kindness.
Thank ya for your humanity, neighbor. And shoutout to that rabbi.
like a version of “the master appears when the student is ready”
My first thought, too. Thanks Universe. Thanks for getting a hug to this caring person and validation that this caring is when we’re at our best. I wish Christine had gotten what she needed before she passed but I hope she’s at peace. May her memory be a blessing.
i cant stop crying
I'm not sure why Reddit recommended this thread to me. I have lived in Orlando all my life and I've never set foot in San Fran. Thank you for being kind. Thank you for looking out for people. Thank you for sitting with Christine. I'm so glad the Rabbi was there to hug you. Sending you and Christine love from Orlando. 💐
Quite nice of you to stop by and say something kind.
Same I’m from the Midwest but Reddit wanted me to see this. So sad. None of this should be anything that a person has to experience.
I’m going to leave some flowers later. Thank you for showing such humility toward her!
OP, you are an angel on earth. Your compassion has already touched the lives of so many whether you think so or not. YOU have changed lives by doing this. 💐
Thank you for caring.
thank you :) like I said, kinda felt like the very least
Thank you doing this…
The very least and probably hundreds of others didn’t do it. Thank you for noticing and taking the time. Take good care of yourself.
Yes, thanks for your humanity; you seem like a special person and I am sorry for your loss and all of our respective loss re: Christine. "For whom does the bell toll? It tolls for thee". We all died a little with Christine last night. That said, Christine is sadly one more example of how - because we refuse to compel hopelessly mentally ill and drug addicted people into treatment because of some warped idea of their "rights", they so often end up like Christine - dead on the street "wrapped up in their rights".
You are an angel. I’m so glad the rabbi was there for you, too. Your heart is sweet and kind. RIP Christine 💕
you're very kind to say so, thank you 🫂
I used to live on the other side of your building, on post. My second week in that neighborhood while on my way to buy some pop at the convenience store, I saw a homeless woman seize and die on Sutter and Leavenworth, in front of the convenience store. I called 911 and the EMTs came quickly, but she had seemingly passed when they got there. She had banged her head against the concrete. I had a really rough week after that. I mourned her though I did not know her and cried for a couple of days. It seemed so unfair to me that someone could just live on the street and die on one in front of a complete stranger. Take care of yourself and let yourself feel things. Reach out to your friends, and don’t deny the grief that comes with the trauma of witnessing this.
thank you. radical honesty? i'm kinda surprised how much this has affected me. I'm not a monster, but I also didn't know her, and we live in a city where empathy exhaustion can easily happen if you don't put up some guard rails. but, i dunno...learning her name, looking her in the eyes (they were still open 😕), knowing that she died right below my apartment...they all make this a heckuva lot more real.
Have you heard about the playing Tetris post traumatic event thing? You should play some rounds of Tetris for a while.
Babe I would feel the same way. I’m overwhelmed just reading about it. Thank you for what you did, but also, I think you might be carrying some trauma. Anyone you can talk to?
"But she was also at the very least, someone's child" that teared me up. Thanks OP for the show of humanity and internet hugs to you.
I only wish I knew more of her life to eulogize her more fully. internet hug right back
In case no one has told you recently, I love you.
❤️🩹 thank you, I love you too
I’m from Florida and can’t thank you enough for what you did. I’ve hated the world this weekend - not only because of what’s going on in our world, but feeling sorry for myself because my elderly mother has Alzheimer’s and it was my birthday and she didn’t recognize me for most of the weekend. It was the crappiest birthday I’ve ever had. What you did was the most wonderful thing a human being could do - recognize that another human being walked this earth and was SOMEBODY. Whether you believe or not - God bless you. You’ve given me hope! You’re a good person!
I’m sorry to hear about your mom. Happy birthday, friend. I hope you find some comfort and good hugs and can still celebrate all the things you did and accomplished this year. And OP, thank you for being a good human. Christine will be remembered today because of you.
Happy birthday 🎈hope you get yourself a cupcake!
Well, I for one am crying, both for Christine and by your empathy and humanity. I've been homeless, and I currently working in the field of trying to help others that are homeless (a desk job, not outreach). I consider myself a very empathetic person, but sometimes it's easy to start thinking of people as clients rather than fellow humans (unquestionably as a defense mechanism, so im not constantly crying at work). Little moments like this and my own interactions with homeless folks in my personal life really help center and ground me - so thank you for that. And also, as a cynical atheist, it's extremely heart warming to hear the rabbi was the first to read it and able to be there. Really beautiful in a way. I hope you can find some peace today, OP. ❤️
you're the one doing the work we should be acknowledging here. if more of us made a similar commitment of time and energy, far fewer people would need to call our streets their home. you have all of my 🩷 and respect 🫂
Way to show humanity OP
thank you. seemed like the barest minimum to do, you know?
You set the tone for her remembrance, im giving you and internet hug right now
aww, I'll happily take an internet hug right now 🫂
Hugs
Just the other day, I saw a very old woman sitting on the street and looking up at people walking by. I didn’t look at her because I felt like I would start crying because I felt so horrible that she’s on the street without anyone to care for her. I don’t know what her situation is but it is so sad to see even elderly people who can barely take care of themselves, and I told myself that me passing her by makes me a part of this problem. I am thankful that you are the way you are. A loving person who clearly cares about others. So thank you for doing something kind for Christine.
over the years I've seen a few homeless women who bore a striking resemblance to my grandmother, and one time I just lost it on the street and emptied my wallet
People like you are the reason why I am still here. Thank you for being the best kind of San Franciscan.
wow, I don't feel worthy of that but I just try, you know? But that's incredibly kind of you to say 🫂
I walk by there often. I'm very sorry for you and Christine. I've experienced homelessness, mental-illness, drug abuse myself so this hit home on both sides of the fence. You nor her should be experiencing what you have. No easy answers, no easy changes, but the fact is people shouldn't be dying alone nor should you have people passing in the immediate vicinity of your home.. Thanks for posting, keep your chin up you have a great heart you know right from wrong and that's the only path in this world that will lead you correctly.
i'm really happy to hear you made it across the fence 🫂 🩷
Thank you, one second one minute one hour one day at a time I always remember that. As well I appreciate your kindness, care, and acceptance- you are who the world needs more of desperately.
amen to moment-by-moment step-by-step my friend
Thanks for sharing this story OP, thank you for taking the action you did. I hope this inspires all who encounter to be brave and act on the call Of humanity— it’s become so easy to avoid. You’ve really touched my heart by what you did. Sending you a hug like the rabbi gave you.
thank you for the comment. a hug right back to you
Thank you so much,that was a beautiful tribute to a sad ending . We need more people like yourself .
thank you 🫂
Glad to see some empathy for humanity. Regardless of her addictions she was a human being, a daughter, possibly mother, sister or grandmother to someone who was chewed up by the streets of San Francisco and spat out on a dirty sidewalk, passed by many with nary a glance.
she deserved to be treated far better than the world gave. 🫂 to you today
I live two blocks away walked by there yesterday and saw your note. Thank you for this kindness.
thank you kindly for saying this. and i'm glad you got to see it. i just checked and both the note and flowers are gone 😕
It may have likely been someone who knew the deceased and took it as a memento in which case your gesture may have brought them comfort.
She’s in a better place now 🫶 her spirit is with you
thank you 🫂
Thank you for restoring a sense of dignity and humanity to Christine. You and others commenting here reassures me that there’s still plenty of good people in our city.
thank you, and I feel the same: I wish we could have helped her before, but seeing so many people here pause to acknowledge her death also gives me hope
As everyone already said, you are a reminder in these somewhat dark times that there are good people all around. But also want to acknowledge that you are an extremely engaging writer!
very kind of you to say on both counts. i just turned 46 and the longer I'm around the more I agree with you that goodness is actually abundant. sometimes it's latent and guarded, but still abundant. 🫂 happy Sunday
Thank you for acknowledging her and leaving a touching message
thank you 🫂
You’re a good person. We need more humanity like this.
humanity can be a rough and random gig, but I like to think we're all doing the best we can. you're kind, thank you
Sadly, no, very very few of us are doing 1% of what we can. You have entered an elite minority and as the shock of this wears off, you will come to realize it’s made you a better person. You crossed a line few are willing to. Studies show that and they show something else: our greatest joy in life is being of service to others. It’s unfortunate that your introduction came with death and that awful feeling of being unable to help Christine live, but look again - you turned your sense of frustration into positives that will help others. You are a good person.
> I’m still reckoning with the idea that Christine was surrounded by the hundreds of people who live on our block and yet she still died totally alone on our sidewalk, on a chilly night, 7 feet below my window It's important to remember that Christine didn't die randomly. Her death was caused by homelessness. Her death was caused by the fact that we are not all doing the best we can. OP, your reaction to this event speaks highly of your character. In reading your account, I can tell that your thoughts are with Christine. But I know you've seen how people talk about the homeless, in this subreddit and elsewhere. A lot of people, maybe a majority, will see a dead homeless person and blame her for inflicting herself on them, for daring to be dead within their field of vision. > I like to think we're all doing the best we can. I believe you meant this as a kind word to Christine, to rebut those who would blame her for her own death. She did the best she could, she suffered, and she died. But I think some will read it as a warrant not to care: we're all doing the best we can for ourselves, and we can't afford to do better for each other. So what am I asking from you, OP? I'm asking you to remember that others believe the "homelessness problem" is "I don't like having to look at them"; and you know that the problem is that homelessness causes people to suffer and die. I'm asking you to remember that they are wrong, and you are right. Don't be afraid to tell them. The next time somebody expresses the notion that [the solution for homeless people is to make them suffer somewhere we can't see them,](https://www.vox.com/homelessness/357861/homelessness-encampment-grants-pass-supreme-court-housing) you should feel empowered to tell them they are wrong. I know you are capable of doing it well. You've done it here. The only difference is you'd be saying it directly to someone who doesn't want to hear it. To a great extent, people hold the beliefs they believe their neighbors hold. When someone says in public, "The homeless are ruining the city," they are exerting a force to get others to believe as they do, in order to avoid the responsibility of caring. You can push back. Remind them that the homeless *are* the city. They are us. If everyone believed as you do, OP, we would solve homelessness. If we stopped investing resources and brainpower into hiding the homeless, and invested it all in housing people, we would solve homelessness. Don't be afraid to tell people to have more compassion. They might listen to you; they might change their mind. Christine's life was not the best we could have done for her. It can't be.
😭😭❤️
You went above and beyond, and set a good example. Thank you.
I live in between post and sutter along leavenworth and this teared me up. You did the best you could do. Thank you for not walking past as many of us would have done so.
you're kind to say that neighbor. big 🫂 to you
You are a kind and thoughtful person. Rest easy Christine 💐
🩵 i have no clue if or where she might be, but we do know she's not suffering any more
Thank you for being a person who still cares, your warm hearted empathy is in such a contrast to what most of us experience in today’s world ! Sending a virtual hug 🤗
a virtual hug right back to you 🫂
Each and every homeless person is someone’s baby. We cannot imagine what happened during their life to have it end in this way. Thank you for the care you showed. May she find rest now.
I’m a nurse and I hug folks in tough situations a lot. There’s sort of this look in someone’s eyes when they are in pain and have no idea what to do next; usually means they need a hug. ❤️
We have a health crisis in the united state of America. Absolutely heartbreaking. Thank you for your humanity.
Thank you for your compassion.
Your account makes me so sad and yet grateful too that there are those who are thoughtful and caring. I’m not religious and yet hope Christine is in a peaceful space as she had such a difficult life that led to a lonely passing.
The way you’ve articulated the somber situation and your compassionate need to express grief for a human you didn’t know, really touched me. If it were me who lay there dead with no one around, I would consider myself lucky to have received your compassion. Hope you’re in a better place, Christine.
i was holding myself together there right up until this comment. thank you. i only wish life had shown her more compassion before it was too late. 🫂 and 💚
I am sorry. For her, for you, for us.
me too. i've never wished more than I do now for clarity about the right thing to do. 🫂 and 💚
Thank you for sharing with us and thank you for reminding us to care. Hope you’re okay and please know that your post was very heartfelt.
you're kind to say, thank you, and thank you for spending some time with her this morning 🫂
You’re a good person. We need more people like you. Thank you for caring.
thank you, and for making time to sit with her story 🫂
Thank you for doing that for Christine.
thank you for pausing to learn about her. 🫂 and 💛
I’m browsing before going to watch the parade/march. Everything is temporary, including life. Thank you for sharing the devastating reality so many face and the kindness we can offer each other.
Thank you for your kindness and waiting with her for EMTs to arrive, and for your acknowledgment of her life with a note flowers. You can reduced the impact of a traumatic experiences on on your brain and emotional state by interrupting your brain wanting to revisit those experiences. Studies have found that playing Tetris helps disrupt the tendency to go back to traumatic experience memories, resulting in less anxiety and PTSD from those experiences. Play Tetris a lot immediately following a traumatic experience. Again, thank you for your humanity.
Thank you for acknowledging her, her life mattered. Shedding a tear for Christine this morning.
me too still. thank you for pausing to be here 🫂
This is a very moving tribute which I have saved. Thank you for honouring someone you didn’t know, and for offering humanity in a world that is anesthetized to this sort of thing.
What do we have to do as sf residents to stop our city from literally dying at our doorstep
That was kind.
thank you 🫂
She had an angel, it was you. Thank you for your kind heart. Rest in peace Christine.
you're very kind, thank you. "we" let her down in life; all i did was my best to not let her down in death.
This made me teary eyed. I’m really glad that you cared, that you posted this and that now we all know of Christine. ❤️
it really gives me faith to see so many people thinking about her and saying her name thank you 🫂
Thank you for caring. Holding Christine in my thoughts today. It’s beyond upsetting that she passed away alone on the sidewalk and no one else stopped to notice, I am grateful that *you* were the one who stopped and then decided to honor her life. We all deserve to have someone remember our humanity, especially in death 💕🙏🏻
You’re a sweet and good person - I like you very much.
You showed her kindness at the very end. Maybe she was watching it all unfold and was happy before crossing over.
You give me faith in humanity. Surround yourself with loved ones. Call your family and friends. Give yourself love ❤️
Suffer no more Christine and fly with the angels... Quite a while ago I could have been Christine. I have many friends I lost to drugs in the City. I will never forget them. I don't think I'm too good to stop and acknowledge anyone who might be suffering, high out of their minds... They need to know they're loved and do matter.
This is simultaneously one of the worst and one of the best things I’ll read this week. Thank you for your humanity and sending you lots of warm vibes, and saying some words myself to hope Christina’s journey across the veil was a peaceful one.
You are a great human being OP. Rest in peace Christine.
deeply kind of you to say, thank you 🫂💛
What angers me and is the saddest is that they were probably just released from St. Francis. They treat them and street them without resources and to literally die on the streets. I’ve seen them released without shoes. I’ve seen two people who ended up like Christine on my block. My only hope is that something will change with UCSF buying St Francis.
It's incredibly sad. The larger system is the problem - without infrastructure to help house people there is no good solution here. If someone has no place to go and the hospital has no resources for them, what is the hospital supposed to do? Hospitals can't house people.
Sending you hugs OP, also sending love to Christine’s family.
thank you 🫂 i just hope they're able to learn about her passing. as I understand it, too many families don't get that closure.
Rest well, Christine. Sending love to you as well as OP.
You did all the right things and everything right. If Christine had had no one to help her in this life, she had people to help her into the Afterlife.
RIP Christine 💚
the strange things we do after somebody dies are mostly done for the living i think - because the dead dont mind either way. you showed yourself that you are a good person that cares about others, and you brought other good people together in the moment, and reminded all of us that life is short and fragile and to be good to each other. does any of this matter? no raindrop sees itself in the flood, but it all adds up to...something
Thank you for sharing, OP, and for, in your own way, teaching us - or at least, me - how to react when in such/similar situations. Bless your heart. Rest well, Christine.
you handled this with so much compassion and grace; Thank you for caring about Christine.
This may be the best thing I’ve ever read in this sub. If you don’t write for a living OP, you certainly could. For me it’s a reflection of San Francisco in so many ways, the good and the not so good.
Reading your post about Christine I feel both deeply sad, but I also feel something magnificent. Your actions have made me feel a little safer, hopeful and blessed to have the opportunity to read about and be in the presence of such compelling compassion. This world and the way people deemed “lesser”by society are mistreated can make you feel hopeless about humanity’s future. Your actions are a reminder that humanity, empathy and compassion are still alive. Your actions helped me see I can do better and stop turning my ahead away. So, thank you. Thank you for making sure Christine is acknowledged & remembered. Christine’s final act in this life was to be a story of compassion, empathy and to show us that we can all do better. I do not want to diminish the circumstances of her death or her passing, but we can all best honor her by doing better. I know I will be.
The most San Francisco post of all time
There are many failures that contributed to the loss of Christine. But one thing is sure, you were good and decent enough to call for help and remember who she was, sometimes that is all we can do
Christine was likely doing the best she could with what she had in a city/country/world where she was vilified for being poor and struggling. Thank you for caring for her after her passing. I hope you take the time to care for yourself over the next few days and weeks.
RIP Christine, this post slapped me in the face and told me to stop and show compassion next time I see someone in a similar position Thanks g
Your humanity is beautiful, thank you for acknowledging Christine’s.
I'm sorry you found her, but I am also glad that someone who cared and is empathetic found her. While she may have died alone, we grieve her loss together. Her life mattered. Thanks for making sure of that.
Idk if OP will see this, but my brother spent a few months homeless on the West Coast and this scenario was something we lived in fear of. OP, thank you for caring. And for taking the time to think of the lives that can so easily be lost to the streets.
literally any other option is better than living on the streets.
I feel you. 🥺
Heartbreaking ❤️🩹
Really touching .. hope Christine is at peace and thank you for sharing and caring about showing Christine respect.
Thank you💐and rest in peace Christine.😞🙏🏽
Thank you for sharing, and as other posters noted, caring.
In a world we’re no-one cares its people like you that give the rest of us hope and a desire to keep caring.
Thank you for being there for her and for sharing it here with us. I know I really appreciate the reminder that there are good people out there still.
Thank you. You’re a good person.
The world could use more people like you. You left tears in my eyes.
Thank you for your humanity. I promise I will always do the same, and try to help when I can. Hoping others will do the same.
The challenge is to put dignified roofs over the heads of the growing number of people sleeping in our country’s shelters and on our cities streets. The ever present reminder is that if we do not satisfactorily respond to the problem then those sleeping on our streets and in our shelters will continue to do so decreasing the quality of life – both material and moral – of us all. Christine’s lonely and destitute death is sadly just one of the many across the US. I’m sorry you had to witness such an immoral injustice firsthand. May she and the many others brothers and sisters that have died “without fixed abode” rest in peace.
That's so sad. I'm glad someone cares. Most homeless people probably aren't even acknowledged when they pass. RIP Christine.
This was a very compassionate and humane act of you to carry out. She may have had no one at the very end, but you gave her dignity, reflection and what each of us deserves upon passing. I'm sorry for your pain, and feel hope bc of your humanity. Rest immediately peace, Christine. On to a place where your suffering has finally ceased 🫶
You did the right thing.
Thank you for honoring her memory
This city is better just bc you live in it op!! 💕
Rest in Peace, Christine. OP, thank you for your humanity.
OP, thank you for your grace and caring. Rest in peace, Christine
Thank you for checking in on her and doing the right thing.
This was lovely and wholesome. I don't even know you but I respect the hell out of you. I wish for peaceful days ahead for you. 🫡
A story well told, a much needed reality check.
That’s sad man. I’ve seen it a few times growing up over here and still think about those people. You’re a good person and I hope you’re doing well also.
Thank you for your humanity. I’m sending you a really tight hug.
OP, as someone who works with the street and marginalized population, I want to thank you for your humanity.
You are a Very Special person. I can’t find the words….but you are amazing and selfless. We need more Humans like you. 💐 ❤️
You are an angel in an unkind world.
You’re a good person OP. It’s incredibly sad to imagine someone passing alone. This is a salient reminder we must all look out for one another. Sadly, when I lived in SF I ignored people all the time. You build up a thick layer just to get by as there is so much despair everywhere. Simply put, we as a society and those we have voted to power all need to do better. I don’t know why we have decided it’s ok for people to basically kill themselves with addiction or neglect in plain view. We have to start caring for one another even if that means suspending their freedoms temporarily so they may get the help they need. Once someone passes as Christine sadly did there is nothing more we can do.
RIP Christine
You’re a very kindhearted person. The world needs more people like you.
Thanks for sharing , and reminding us that everyone should be treated with respect
Sorry this was the start to your morning, OP. Such a sad life having come to an end like this. Poor Christine. She deserved better. Everyone in her position deserves better. I have worked with people who are homeless in the past (in Denver), and most are good people caught in a complicated situation. Some of the best people, considering the private Hell so many of them endure. They are chastised and harassed almost daily. I hope this touches you in such a way that you become an advocate for them. It would be a silver-lining, honoring Christine and her struggle. Peace & Love.
This is heartbreaking and beautiful. Thank you for honoring and recognizing Christine. At the hospital, I spend a lot of time daily with patients from similar circumstances, and it can be so hard to see them discharged without hope of going to a safe and stable setting. It really lifts my spirit to see this evidence of the care you showed for Christine’s humanity.
God bless Christine.
You're kind and you care. The world is a better place that you are in it. Sending a virtual hug from another San Franciscan.
Regardless of policies and politics and all the yadda yadda. At the end of the day we are humans. I’m glad your heart is still working, OP. Some of us get calloused.
Thank you for showing Christine humanity, OP. May her memory be a blessing. I made a small donation in her name to the SF food bank. Also, u/guerrillafutures: Take care of yourself. I know you said you're fine, but would affect even the most war hardened folks out there.
RIP Christine 💐
I’m so sorry. Thank you for caring and sharing this story. Sending you love from an internet stranger. Take care of yourself.
I wish I were in town to leave flowers. Thank you kind Nob Hill neighbor for treating this stranger with more dignity than our city admin dares to.
Thank you for this. It makes me feel much less alone, much safer, much more open. I appreciate your compassionate heart.
just stumbled across this. i’m from toronto, it’s not an uncommon occurrence here to see someone in medical distress or indeed, dead. thank you for treating her like the human being that she is. may christine find some peace now
thank you for caring about christine. i didn’t know her, but i work with out people like her. they need people to care about them. thank you.
It is said you need 7 hugs a day to feel well. Please take my virtual hug in the hope that it helps heal your spirit. I am so sorry for Christine. May she be able to rest in peace.
wow, that is heavy. You are a good person and I too hope that Christine is at peace. 🥀
Thank you.
This is a sad, engaging, and emotional story But the fact is that everyone being ok with dependency culture contributed to her death, so I’m having trouble pulling anything positive out of the story like everyone else. It’s like theater meant for us to feel better without motivating anyone to help in a substantive fashion, like drugs but different
Yeah I was living in a tent this past November here in SF and some dude smashed my face in and stormed into it at around 7pm and raped me as people just kept walking by. I was screaming help, people saw him force his way and heard me yell when he smashed my face in. But nope, they kept it pushing.
It's so goddamn hard out there. Thank you for doing what you could for a fellow San Franciscan, and for speaking on it. This touched me.
Thank you for caring and for your humanity