Beyond Your Comfort Zone Lies Unexpected Blessings

 

I was watching the news today and saw an inspiring story.  In Paris, France there was a toddler dangling from a balcony 5 stories high.  His father could not reach him.  All of a sudden, an incredible super hero came to his aid.  This young man’s name is Mamodou Gassama.   The 22 year old scaled the 5 story building as fast as Spiderman.  Mind you, not the stairs but he climbed from balcony to balcony until he reached the child.  He grabbed the toddler and lifted him to the balcony from which he was dangling.  It seemed to happen so fast.  Spectators said it was seconds.

As I watched I thought of a few things.  To be young an agile is a good thing.  Also, this happened in an instant.  This gentleman did not just stand and gawk.  His humanity sprang to action.  He did not think “Can I rescue this child?”  His instinct to protect came to life and he acted accordingly.  The news said he was an undocumented worker from Mali, Africa.  Can you imagine jumping into action knowing that you can be “caught” and returned to the circumstances you left back home?  His humanity superseded that emotional conflict.  In the end, he met with the President of France, President Emmanuel Macron and was offered a job as a firefighter and citizenship.  In life, a split- second decision can determine life or death in an instant.  This tells a lot of ones’ character. 

In life we don’t always have these life changing circumstances befall us but what about the small everyday decisions.  How do we treat the people around us?  Can we help someone who needs our help or just hope someone else will?  Sometimes it is as small as an encouraging word.  Words have weight and can lift a person up or tear him down.  It can be a small act of kindness like sharing a resource to help another person through this day.  Or a random act of kindness.  A couple of weeks ago a man savagely attacked two elderly women on the street. A random stranger knocked the man down and held him for police.  When police came the hero disappeared.  It turns out he was a homeless man who hated to see these innocent citizens attacked.

These are the incidents that remind us of our responsibilities to others.  Also, a reminder of who we are and what we owe each other.   Love, respect, compassion, humility and our humanity brings us together.  These are the qualities that makes us human and show who we are collectively and individually.  Let’s not forget one act of kindness goes a long way.

photo by freedigitalphotos

Sigrid Channer