Today I want to remember the kindness of a stranger over
twenty years ago to commemorate Mandy's birthday!
The setting was a busy store where my sister and her family
and my girls and I went shopping for souvenirs on our way back to Miami where
my sister and family lived. We had been enjoying the parks in Orlando and it
was time to stop at a mall to buy a few things.
We were all together watching each other’s kids. I got
destructed looking at some things to buy when all of the sudden here comes in
the store a gentleman with a little girl in his arms and a police officer asking
if anyone knew who this little girl belonged to?
As I looked at them, I couldn’t believe my eyes. That little
one -year old little girl was my Mandy! I felt petrified and in shock to even
think she had gotten out of the store into a parking lot without me knowing.
Somehow I thought she was being watched by my sister and brother in law and
they thought she was with me.
I can’t tell you the impact that one experience has had in
my life that I have never ever forgotten about it. First, it was a huge relief that my baby girl was
okay. But second, it was an amazing thing to know the kindness of this person I
didn’t know. What an angel he was to have done that. His kindness was truly
humbling. He handed Mandy to me after I proved to the officer she was my
daughter by showing him a picture of our family I was carrying in my wallet.
Mandy was of course in the picture.
The policeman handed Mandy to me with some hesitation as to
saying to me: “what kind of a mother are you”?
I know, I deserved to be scolded. I had lost my child and didn’t even
know it. Lesson learned! Never assumed you child is in the care of someone else
and never lose sight of your child even for a second.
Another lesson I
learned that day was the kindness of a stranger who took the time of his day to
find this child her mother. Too bad we never exchanged contact information to
thank him but I hope somehow he realizes how deeply grateful I am for returning
my child.
I love the scripture that reads: “BE NOT FORGETFUL TO
ENTERTAIN STRANGERS: FOR THEREBY SOME HAVE ENTERTAINED ANGELS UNAWARES.”
(Hebrew 13:2)
That quote reminds me that we should always be mindful of
others, even strangers that we haven’t met or gotten to know, because you may
be touching the life of someone very special. We just never know the impact
that we can have on another person’s life.
My journal entry today is dedicated to this fellow with no
name who went out of his way to reach out to find my daughter, her mother. I
hope that I can take his example into my life and make sure that I pay more
attention to the kind things that I can do for another; even someone who I may not even know. Today’s challenge
for me is to find an opportunity to touch someone’s life just like this person
with his kindness so long ago, touched mine.
May we all do better to be more mindful of strangers…
Con amor,
Vero
