A few days ago I attended the funeral of a long-time co-worker. This man was an avid bicyclist. He had a pouch on the back of his bike seat that he kept filled with innertubes of all sizes. His perspective was that when you are back on some out-of-the-way bike trail, you never know when you might meet someone with a flat tire who might need just the tube that you happen to have.
When I started college, my parents drove me to campus. They dropped me off, helped me unload my meager stack of posessions (nothing like the stuff people consider necessities for a dorm today!) We chatted with other new students & parents, made our way around the various freshman activities, etc. I remember dad making conversation with an African student who seemed upset. Apparently she didn't have enough money for her book fees. Dad wrote her a check for $100. That sort of peeved me, because I was his daughter, and he was only paying ME $600 per year for college, yet he gave someone he just met $100.
Last weekend Jennifer stopped at our house. She was a total stranger, but she very respectfully asked if we had any yard work she could do for us. According to her story, she was escaping an abusive relationship and trying to get to a town where she had some family or friends, but had run out of money. Had she just asked for money, I'm not sure I would have given it. I'm just not that trusting, and I would have immediately thought that she was probably lying. But she was willing to do manual labor to earn the money, so I let her do some weeding in my flower garden, and we paid her a good wage for the hour she spent on it. Maybe she was lying about why she needed the money... we'll probably never know. But if she was telling the truth, I wanted to be a person to help restore her hope. She was willing to work to earn her way, which made me want to be more generous with her. I felt she deserved it.
When the hurricanes hit this past week, it brought back memories of 1969. I was a kindergartener, and I remember my dad being gone for about a month. He left my mom home alone with 5 kids, a 6th one in college, and pregnant with the 7th. Why? He went to Gulfport, Mississippi to help clean up and rebuild after a hurricane hit. I remember wondering when he would ever come home. I'm sure my mom felt the same way!!
I felt good for being able to help Jennifer. But sometimes I wish I could be like my co-worker or my dad. They didn't just help people who deserved it or earned it, and they didn't expect anyone to repay it. They took risks of being taken advantage of in order to help other people who needed it.
My co-worker didn't make them earn the bike tubes. And in the office, he always made you feel like your problem was his top priority too. He always found time to do his best job for you, even in his last months of life. I'm sure that he was probably taken advantage of at times in his life, but you never would have known it by his attitude. His life was ended too soon by cancer, but he made every moment count. I consider him a true inspiration. He will be greatly missed by the many people he touched during his life.
I'd like to think that someday (MANY YEARS from now) similar words will be said about me.
4 comments:
My brother-in-law's been in Gulf Port, Mississippi since last Tuesday. He's been able to call my sister twice. Both times he said the same thing: "All we're doing is bagging bodies. It's WORSE than anything you've ever seen."
He was gone for a month this time last year due to the wild fires out west. He's said that he'll be gone a lot longer this time.
I think about him and the victims down south all day long. This tragedy is horrific.
Like you, I'm amazed at selfless acts. Not everyone has the ability to give without expecting anything in return. As we get older, at least for me, I find the cynic in me rearing his ugly head. It's wonderful to have those people in our lives that are such great examples. My mom was like that. I'm sorry for your loss.
My uncle just died this past week and the funeral was today. Too sad is it that you have to wait until someone has passed away to hear how great a person is and how many lives they've touched. My uncle was large in stature and in the number of lives he'd touched.
He was always one to watch people and not criticize; help out however possible, even when he wasn't asked; and take a genuine interest in new things.
It inspires me to be more like him and also to be more gracious to those who do go above and beyond what's expected.
Base... I agree. I took the opportunity to talk to my daughter about some of these things (she wondered who the lady was in my garden).
Buddha Girl, I don't know anyone personally involved, so I have seen this more from an outsider's perspective. But with this many "refugees", I think there is no way that the entire country could not feel the effect to some extent. There are already families arriving in our county in northern Indiana.
I agree Mary... but I will continue to work to curb my cynical feelings. I'd prefer to be a bit naive & trusting, even if it means I end up taken advantage of from time to time.
Yes dominator... I think it's important to let people know how they have touched our lives, but it is not always the easiest thing to do for some reason. During some of my "down" times, I have felt like no one would even notice if I were gone, so I know how even a small affirmation from someone can make a huge difference in your life.
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