First in line is “The Miracle” which would be the success of the cochlear ear implant. A deaf person can hear voices, carry on a conversation and reacquaint themselves with white noise (okay, some parts of the process will be annoying for awhile…) but to be given back “quality of life” because of a small electronic device and some hope and prayers (not to mention years and years of medical school for the surgeon) is truly a miracle. The miracle category is rather small as they take a lot of God time so one should not be too greedy.
Blessings are far more numerous. Besides the obvious ones of having genuine friends and friendships, good health, great kids, a loving spouse, a dry basement and working cars…..the intangibles of deed are blessings often gone unnoticed or categorized. Allow me to share a few….and to which I will credit the years and years of scouting.
Example one, the “reaction”: Son #2 was “shopping” at a local store, which translates to hanging out and sampling the merchandise, when a woman fell and hit her head. She had a small child whose calling of ‘mommy, mommy’ is what caught my son’s attention. He calmly dialed 911 and stood by as a sort of visual comfort. At 6’6” that is a lot of comfort. He knew better than to move or attempt to treat a head injury (yes there was blood) due to potential spinal damage. Fortunately the rescue squad was only a couple of hundred yards away so help was quick to arrive. He left the store. Scouts taught him to react quickly and calmly as a way to get others to react as most people will “freeze” in their initial panic.
Example two, the “return”: Same son was in line at a local sandwich place. The man in front of him dropped a rather large bill on the ground and did not notice. Son picks it up and returns it. The man was rather surprised and then bought my son’s sandwich for him as a thank you for his honesty. A simple gesture of doing the right thing, to be trustworthy and helpful, in return brought forth courtesy and kindness. I love it when the scout law works as it should!
Example three, the “offer”: Same son (he has been home a lot longer than the other son, whose turn is coming….) spent a good part of the day at the hospital visiting a friend (a man older than his own father) who was recovering from surgery. Once the man goes home, he needs to have someone with him for several weeks 24/7. Driving in the car, son says to me, I think I will go spend a day with “Bob” next week so his wife can go shopping or something. It was the second part of the sentence that is important. He was not thinking of “Bob” but of the other person affected by the surgery. Loyal and friendly, two more parts of those 12 rattled off each week.
Wishes come next and work best when offered up for others so I have found out. Often a wish will boomerang once it has come true for the recipient (thank goodness for spell check on that one). This may be a bit convoluted to explain, but as I have wished for my sons to have good friends, to be safe, to be careful etc…so too must their friends’ parents have been wishing the same. Last night was another one of what is now called the “Standard Krew Party Package With or Without Paper Products”, a phrase that translates into a couple of dozen young adults hanging out in the lower level. They play music (even Glenn Miller stuff!), drink pop, eat pizza and cookies (which come in the door on plates and are often homemade by other moms), and get in and out of the hot tub all night long. The morning after is always amazing…..wet towels piled neatly in the laundry room, trash taken out, furniture put back, counters wiped off and so on, as if not a person had been here at all. I find it amazing every time. I think they must form a police line to make sure every crumb is off the carpets. Only a stray napkin was to be found. The words, obedient, helpful, clean and trustworthy yet again can be cited. Often these young people stop to say hello or sit and chat a bit. Too bad the newspapers rarely mention the positive things about young adults (16 to 22 or so….)
Speaking of newspapers, a simple gesture shows the kindness of others. This morning I found my paper (often tossed at the end of my driveway) to be sitting on top of my garbage can. Evidently the garbage man picked it up as he was bringing the empty can back to the garage. ….or could it be that one of those kids left really early this morning? No matter, I was touched by the gesture nonetheless.
Now I shall toss a wish out there.....I wish that all the politicians, candidates, occupiers, and bah hum-buggers would take a few moments to read over the scout law and see if they could live by it each and every day (as well as be accountable for such) and I bet this crazy world would be a lot better. Just in case you don’t know it, here are the 12 points: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
God bless and Merry Christmas everybody!
Good parents raise good kids, but a little BSA doesn't hurt!
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