Heartbreak

My heart broke a little this morning when I glanced away from my car thermometer reading of 5 degrees to see the (60-something-year-old?) woman who sells tamales day in and day out on the side of 800 North in Provo. 

And it broke some more when I drove past her again 6 hours of sub-20 degree temps later, this time pulling her heavy cart through the ice and snow. 

And I almost started crying on the spot when she greeted me with "mi nina linda" and refused my offer to help with the cart because it was "demasiado pesado" to put in my car and her destination was "demasiado lejos" to allow me to pull it myself while Zoe waited in the car. 

That was before she gave me a hug, kissed me on the cheek, and sent me on my way.

When Zoe asked me why we didn't help her, I didn't know what to say: because we weren't enough? because she's strong enough by herself? because too often we can only see the obvious burdens that others carry and are blind to the ones that are actually crushing?