The One

Sometimes I get a little reminder of just how wonderful my wife actually is -- whether I need to be reminded or not. This weekend we were in the local city park for a church function and we decided to walk over to the playground and watch our kids and the other church kids while they played. Not too far from where we sat on a bench one of the other kids fell from pretty high up and landed on his face and chest. After a few seconds of stunned silence, the kid began to moan and that very quickly evolved to a frightened sob. He was shocked more that hurt and although I figured as much, it was still startling to witness.

As I sat there not knowing exactly what to do, before I could process enough to even stand up, Melissa was on her feet crossing the short distance to the fallen boy. As I finally made my way up to my feet to follow her lead, she had already made her way to the boy's side and was holding him in her arms, brushing the dust off of his cheek, holding his head against her shoulder, and consoling him as only a mother could do. Once she had settled him down and check him out for any serious injury, she helped him to his feet and again put her arms around him and held him tight.

Now, keep in mind that this is not a small child. He was at least 10 years old and despite being surrounded by several of his peers, he offered no resistance to her comfort, her affection, or even her embrace. It seemed to be exactly what he needed. Within a minute or two he was walking away discussing the event with his friends and probably enjoying the attention. And all I could do was stand there and watch the entire incident as a spectator.

I have to admit that I was proud of my wife that evening. Not because she reacted so swiftly, which she did. Not because she has the intuition to know what a child needs when he needs it, which she does. And not because she can defuse the anxiety of a stressful situation, which she can (and often does living with me). I was proud because she rushed to the aid of another person without abandon or reluctance.

It's troubling when we see video footage of a man hit by a vehicle lying on the street as people walk past or of a woman collapse in a ER waiting room and die before anyone checks on her. It's comforting to know that I will spend the rest of my life with a woman who cares. I am reminded of the story of the good Samaritan and I am blessed to loved by a "good Samaritan" of my own.