Just Do It

My sister, Nancy, had a couple of great posts (well, they are always great) but these got me to thinking. One was supposed to be very funny in a very very sad way--after taking two of her kids into their new school on a very, very snowy morning, she slipped on the slushy ice and fell down while holding a newborn in a carseat and her toddler in the other arm! And not a soul got out to help her or ask if she was okay or anything. They way she wrote it was funny but it wasn't really funny at all. It made me and her other reader friends wonder about what our reaction would have been and how important small kindnesses can mean to somebody. Nancy then posted a really touching little story that you should all read here.

Anyway, this got me to thinking and reminded me of a goal I made a long time ago--if it appears somebody might need help, just do it. Don't take the time to wonder if they would be embarrassed that you noticed or feel dumb or whatever. Just do it. I guess the exception might be when sometimes I want to stop and pick somebody up on the side of the road and I have to say a prayer and analyze for a moment if that would really be a good choice or not because I have picked up many strangers before and it has always turned out well but I know it could be dangerous. Okay, there might be other exceptions, but in general, don't take the time to decide if you should do something kind, just quickly do it and you will be amazed at how many lives you might touch.

As I rededicated myself to doing this I thought of a kindness that really touched and broke my heart at the same time while in Haiti this past October. We had attended church and were outside the building afterwards. The large gates are usually closed but during services they are open. We started taking some photos and a lot of the kids started crowding around--wanting their picture taken and mostly wanting to look at the digital image afterwards. I noticed a couple of boys on the lawn who had obviously come in through the gates but were obviously not a part of the church goers. By their appearance I could immediately tell that these boys were homeless--two of the thousands and thousands of children who just live on the streets in Haiti. Kelly, who is always good at jumping on an opportunity to perform an act of kindness took out a bag of trail mix she had in her backpack and gave it to one of the boys--knowing that they may not have had anything to eat in days. And then, the real miracle happened. This boy, whose eyes had brightened and was obviously very happy to have received the food, immediately opened up the bag and began passing out handfulls to all of the other children who had crowded greedily around. These children were well dressed and, although still in what we would consider poverty, had everything compared to this street boy. But his first thought, with out hesitation, seemed to be, "I have something precious. I must share it."
Anyway, that is the story. There is a bit more. We had them follow us to our hotel (the guards didn't want to let them in but I suddenly felt like a mother bear and insisted they come in) and we gave them a little money and our hearts broke as they thanked us again and again as I tried to figure out how to say in Kreyol, "put that in your pockets! don't let anybody see it or it will be gone!"

It is so cool to watch and see others kindnesses and their hearts. When I receive a touching donation to Haitian Roots or when somebody does something kind for me or one of my children, I am always overwhelmed nearly to tears, always reminded that whatever darkness there is in this world, there is also love and always hope.