Truly a big deal or not ?

The quest out there is before us. Learning to love our life, learning to forgive ourselves. And moving forward to help others. Helping those people we know and best of all the people who are strangers. Therein lies the rewarding adventure for me. The other day a mother managing two children was trying to buy lunch at a counter in line ahead of me. She could not make up her mind. And the children...one in a carrying pouch and the other sitting in a grocery cart were like roving dancing ants. Round and round. This mom was trying to get food for her kids. Not hold anyone up and make a good decision. I just instinctively told her to take her time. She stepped back and said "That's ok" and opened the counter to me. I then made my order and looked back at her as she now knew what she wanted.

I told her to step up and break line as I had sort of held her place. People in line behind me.She made her order and profusely thanked me. And it was truly not a big deal. But for her it meant the world. I took my sandwich and walked out to the office. I felt so heroic for that moment. And it was truly not a big deal.I don't recount it for compliments. I write this to remind myself to slow down. And the benefits thereof.

Two days ago I was sitting with some friends and a lady recognized one of guys I was having coffee with. She looked as if she was in her late 60's if not 70. She and my friend reminisce about some old times. Then she said to him, "Did you know Don Turner?" He said Yes and then she told the story of how Don Turner went to prison after it was found 10-15 years later that he had molested a number of boys in his scout troop as he was a scout master. The woman's eyes quickly floated in tears, but tears did not drop. She then said, "Oh dear God I feel so bad, because one day when my son was a boy and he was sick. I let Don Tuner go up to his room and see him." You knew in that moment this woman was releasing some guilt from this terrifying story. My friend calmed her a bit. And she spoke a bit more. Then she caught her breath and they exchanged more discussion about the old neighborhood they shared. Later in the same store I saw her and she smiled at me and waved at me with a much more relieved face. Here was a woman that let go of a secret story and we helped her. God knows how long she carried it without telling anyone. A crystalized moment that afterwards I realized was a truly a big deal. Again it took a bit of time to listen but it helped me gain the understand of the power of helping through listening. The sum total of it all is that something that really isn't a big deal can mean a huge deal and life repairing moment for another fellow human being.