Norah’s mom, Tara, noticed
that her daughter, age 3, looks out for the elderly. When an older person is crossing the parking
lot, Norah reminds her mother to go slow.
Along with other children, this precious child is also known to be quite
honest in situations. Recently, Norah
asked her mom to stop at the store to buy cupcakes to share with her six
siblings for her 4th birthday celebration.
As they were going down an aisle in the store, Norah called out, “Hi old
person! It’s my birfday today!” Tara began apologizing to the man, but then
realized that his face was softening and he was talking with Norah about her
birthday. As they went down another
aisle, Norah kept asking her mom to take a picture with her friend. When they encountered Dan again, Tara
explained Norah’s request and he smiled and said that would be fine. Norah “placed her soft hand on top of his
hand. He wordlessly stared at her with
twinkling eyes as she kept his hand in hers and studied his skinny veins and
weathered knuckles. She kissed the top
of his hand and then placed it on her cheek.”
As Tara thanked Dan, he explained that this was his best day in a long
time. When they arrived home Tara posted
a picture and recounted what had happened at the store. A lady responded with a private message and
explained that Dan’s wife, Mary, had recently died and that he had been
terribly lonely. Tara found Dan’s
telephone number, called to speak to him and planned a visit for a few days
later. When Norah and her mother
arrived, Tara noticed that Dan looked younger.
He had shaved, had a haircut, and was smiling and ready to greet his
guest. Dan had crayons and paper for
Norah. They spent 3 hours coloring and
visiting. As they were leaving, Mr. Dan
cut a rose in his garden, took off the thorns, and handed it to Norah. Tara and Norah continue to visit Mr. Dan and
he now joins their family for holiday celebrations, all because a little girl
spoke to an “Old person” and her mother went the second mile to reach out and continue
the relationship.
When Autumn Michels was
7 months old, an inoperable brain tumor was detected near her optic
nerves. As she grew older, so did the
tumor. In order to slow the growth,
three surgeries were performed to remove a portion of the tumor. Autumn’s optic nerves were sacrificed in the
process, leaving her totally blind at the age of 4. When she was in the sixth grade at Laingsburg
Middle School, Autumn signed up to be in the band. She chose the clarinet and learned to play the
music by ear. Autumn also worked at
reading Braille sheet music. As a
freshman, Autumn desired to be in the 114-member band at Laingsburg High School
in Michigan. One of her dreams was to be
able to march at halftime. Band Director
Thomas Cousineau was aware of her wish and researched the best way to make that
dream a reality. Usually Autumn uses a
cane to navigate the halls at school, but with the close proximity to the other
marchers a different technique would be needed.
At band camp that summer, Cousineau asked senior Rachael Steffens to
fill in and to stand behind Autumn and guide her through each of the positions
as the band members marched. When the
director had trouble finding someone else to help, once school started, Rachael
decided that she wanted to be the one to help Autumn so she could march with
the band. When the band plays in the
stands, Rachael is seen playing the drums, but when it’s time to march she is
the eyes and steady hands so Autumn’s dream of marching is a reality.
The willingness to go
the second mile can make the biggest and most lasting impact. Ready.
Set. Go!
“No
one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is
perfected in us.”
1 John 4:12
If
anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
Matthew 5:41
No comments:
Post a Comment