The Village

I've had two pretty great experiences at the park in the last few days and I have to share. Saturday I took my kids to the park and while we were there James bumped into something that made his knee bleed. I have bandaids in my wallet, my church bag, my car, my diaper bag, and this time, I had nothing. We walked to the park and all I brought was my phone and water. I got him some TP from the bathroom and held it in place hoping it would stop, but it was a wart and those things never stop bleeding. I was suggesting we go home and James was insisting we ask someone for a bandaid. I had already surveyed the popular suspects that might have a bandaid and had decided the likelihood of anyone having a bandaid was slim to none. And being a rather shy individual, I wasn't about to go asking everyone when we could just go home out of the chilly weather. Then James turned into the parent and said, "mom. All you need to do is walk up to those people over there (the only ones with a bag) and say 'my little boy is bleeding, do you have a bandaid he could have?'" I smiled and got up off the bench and went and asked. They didn't have one. But the lady standing nearby said she had one in her car and ran to get one. I am humbled (and a bit ashamed) to say that when I first saw her at the park with gauges in her ears the size of quarters and her choice of hair color, I wondered what her story was. I wondered why she thought doing that to her ears was a good idea. I know. Not very nice. But Heavenly Father helped me learn a valuable lesson, there are good people everywhere and we are ALL His children. I later learned the lady had just moved here and she only knew she had bandaids in her car because she couldn't find any in her house with all the chaos of moving when her own daughter needed one. I am so grateful for miracles like this to help soften my heart that perhaps was a little too wrapped up in the outward appearance of things.

Today we were at a different park while James at piano lessons and just as I was sitting down I see a flash of orange and hear a scream. One of those I'm-really-hurt screams. I see Seth lying flat on his back and I'm sure he's broken something as I'm running over. He had fallen from the highest part of the playground. I put baby down and make sure Seth is ok. He moves and sits up. I think he probably just knocked the air of his chest. I'm not so worried when he can move and when I look up, I see two other moms that were just getting in their cars to leave before Seth fell, standing and helping with Liam and making sure everything was ok. I was touched. I had never met one of them and the other one only a few times. They heard the scream and ran over. I sit there with Seth for a minute and they leave. Then my friend Erin comes over and asks to see how I was doing. This lady amazes me. James went to preschool with her daughter and then we never saw each other until this year. She knew all of my boys' names and mine. I for sure didn't remember hers and was stunned that she remembered not only James' but all of our names. I mentioned that I had been through more scary situations than today and wasn't worried and thanked her for her kindness. Then she said, "it takes a village and we're here to help." There are so many good people who might have different ideas and beliefs about things, but at the end of the day, I think most would do exactly what these women have shown me over the last few days. Women who probably don't believe in the same religion. Women who are moms just like me. Ministering at it's finest.
"By small and simple things, are great things brought to pass."