Friday, February 19, 2021

An Inspirational Walk

Read: UMH 430

One Sunday in November, my dog, Molly, and I went for a walk. It was a windy day; leaves were flying; there was a chill in the air, but the sun was shining brightly. We ran into a church member who was walking his son in a stroller. They had hoped to visit the playground but had to opt out owing to the chilly winds.

I joined them on their walk home. As we walked and talked, my companion stopped several times to pick up trash discarded on the ground. He kept a keen eye out for others coming our way, taking care to move aside and make room for others to safely pass. This behavior was clearly automatic. As we walked along, we asked each other about our families, church, how we celebrated Halloween this year, and how we were managing during these unusual times. He talked about taking care of some projects in his yard. As we turned onto his street, I dropped him and his son off at their house. He left me with an offer of help if there was anything I ever needed. I felt like that chance encounter was a great lesson for me. Think of others before yourself, keep your environment clean even if you didn’t cause the mess, and offer to help those who may need your help. He and his precious son made my day.

Nancy Grose