The Good Samaritan

Mistakes.  Accidents.  Catastrophes.  


Plain Stupidities happen when your brain is in the clouds and you aren't paying attention.  


The rush of life.  


I'm guilty of getting caught up in it.    


Running late {Story. Of. My. Life.}


Taking on more than I can handle. 


Daydreaming while driving and not paying attention to the road.  


It left me stranded after my car jumped the curb and blew a tire a few weeks ago.

It wasn't the tire that worried me.  Not even the fact that I was extremely late on a day that couldn't spare a minute, in order to accomplish all the tasks on my list.


My concern was that I had just driven around a bend in the road (out of view to the approaching cars).  


A concern that there wasn't a shoulder for me to safely pull my car off the road, and that this road was notorious for people speeding around this particular corner.  I knew, because I was guilty of being one of those people.


But, my biggest concern was for the safety of my 11 month old Son Sam, who happened to be traveling with me.  


I know... Shame on me for not keeping my attention on the road in the first place!

I pulled Sam out of his car seat and moved away from the car, behind a median, and waited.  

And watched cars drive by.

With people who either looked at me and saw me on my cell phone holding a baby, or people who didn't even notice I was there.  Stranded.  

People, caught up in the rush of life.

And I wondered.

What is wrong with us?

But it was obvious. I wasn't the only one caught up in the busyness of life.

Luckily my Husband was on his way to rescue us and thankfully he wasn't far, because I was quickly starting to lose faith in humanity. 

I know.  I'm so dramatic, right?!  But did I mention I was holding a baby on the side of the road, stranded?

Just then, I saw break lights.  A car reversed and a man jumped out to see if we were okay.

I thanked him, and told him my Husband would arrive within 10 minutes.

He jumped back in his car and was off.

The car reversed back down the hill and the man jumped out and began directing traffic around my car.  


He yelled up the hill "I will stay here until your Husband arrives.   That way if anyone gets hit, it will be me and not you and the baby".


Okay, seriously?  Did I really say I was losing faith in humanity?


Shame on me.

And he did just that.  


Stood at the bottom of the hill (in front of oncoming traffic), putting himself at risk so that my car, my baby, and I were safe.

When I asked him his name (so that I could properly thank him later with a card and perhaps some baked goods) he shrugged his shoulders and said "Don't worry about it.  I'm just a retired Grandfather"


Secretly, I think he may have  been worried we would send him some of These Cookies

Either way, I am grateful for having been reminded that there are great people in the world, willing to put others before themselves. 

Grateful for being reminded how quickly things can happen when you get caught up in the rush of life.


So, if even just for this moment... Slow Down & Celebrate Life.  


I think I may just do the same.