Eric Jason Pena posted the photo below to his Facebook profile after having a deeply moving encounter with a homeless man. Eric recounted his experience in the caption of the photo (which you can read in full underneath the image below by clicking "See More"), and it didn't take long for people to take notice of the extraordinary nature of this encounter. Eric took the time to really talk to this individual and hear his story, something that no one else in the store was willing to do. As a result, Eric began to see the human side of the individual sitting in front of him; this was no longer just some random homeless man, but a person with a story, a life, and a heart. The way Eric reacted to seeing this marginalized member of society is the perfect example of why it's important to not judge a book by its cover; you never truly know another person's story just by looking at them.
Eric's behavior has set a beautiful example for the rest of us, and he has inspired hundreds of thousands of people with this one selfless act of kindness. Sometimes the small acts of kindness are the ones that speak the loudest.