My wife and I went shopping at Costco last week to find a set of table
and chairs that we could put in the kitchen area of our office. As we were leaving my wife
noticed that the large box we purchased said “1 of 2 boxes”. So I had to run
back and get the second box and not being very brilliant, I failed to take the
cart with me. So I had to carry the second box all the way back by hand. The
box was heavy and as I tried to hurry…it slipped out of my hand and a sharp
staple sliced three of my fingers. By the time I returned to the exit area my
back was hurting, my hand was bleeding and my attitude was going downhill fast.
But…as I stood there like a jerk complaining about my aching back, a young father walked by us. He was pushing a small red wagon in front of him while towing a Costco cart behind him and he was doing pretty good navigating both vehicles through the crowd. But it was the little red wagon that really caught our attention. Inside was a tiny baby girl, probably only 2 years old, lying on her back. She had the sweetest little face and never made a sound, but several times she looked like she was cringing in pain. Inside the wagon she was propped in place with several soft blankets but surrounded by hard metal machines with tubes and electrical cords going everywhere. All that apparatus surrounding her made it look like she was in a rolling red wagon “life support system”. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and in my heart I immediately started wishing she would smile…and be okay.
The funny thing is - her Dad was smiling! He obviously takes her and her little red wagon out into the world all the time and is used to the difficult situation life has handed them. He knew she was fine, or at least as fine as possible considering the circumstances, and I could see that he was her rock, her provider, her protector, her loving father…and in fact…her real “life support system”.
Let’s face it, the world can be a cruel place, but obviously a sore back is nothing compared to what that little girl and her family are going through. Seeing her and her father go by instantly changed my perspective and softened my attitude. My heart went out to them and it reminded me that all of us need to have people in our lives that “have our backs” (whether they are aching or not), and love us despite our faults and mistakes. It might be a spouse, a family member or a best friend, but they are the ones who are always there for us when we are hurting, lifting us up when we are down, patiently smiling when we are frowning and truly filling the role of being our “life support system”. If you have someone in your life like that…make sure to take a moment today to let them know they are appreciated…and then pay it forward by filling that role for someone you care about.
But…as I stood there like a jerk complaining about my aching back, a young father walked by us. He was pushing a small red wagon in front of him while towing a Costco cart behind him and he was doing pretty good navigating both vehicles through the crowd. But it was the little red wagon that really caught our attention. Inside was a tiny baby girl, probably only 2 years old, lying on her back. She had the sweetest little face and never made a sound, but several times she looked like she was cringing in pain. Inside the wagon she was propped in place with several soft blankets but surrounded by hard metal machines with tubes and electrical cords going everywhere. All that apparatus surrounding her made it look like she was in a rolling red wagon “life support system”. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and in my heart I immediately started wishing she would smile…and be okay.
The funny thing is - her Dad was smiling! He obviously takes her and her little red wagon out into the world all the time and is used to the difficult situation life has handed them. He knew she was fine, or at least as fine as possible considering the circumstances, and I could see that he was her rock, her provider, her protector, her loving father…and in fact…her real “life support system”.
Let’s face it, the world can be a cruel place, but obviously a sore back is nothing compared to what that little girl and her family are going through. Seeing her and her father go by instantly changed my perspective and softened my attitude. My heart went out to them and it reminded me that all of us need to have people in our lives that “have our backs” (whether they are aching or not), and love us despite our faults and mistakes. It might be a spouse, a family member or a best friend, but they are the ones who are always there for us when we are hurting, lifting us up when we are down, patiently smiling when we are frowning and truly filling the role of being our “life support system”. If you have someone in your life like that…make sure to take a moment today to let them know they are appreciated…and then pay it forward by filling that role for someone you care about.
Let
us be grateful for people who care about us,
the ones who tow our wagon so we
can ride.
~ Anonymous
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