I saw a man walking 🚶‍♂️ in the rain ….. a vigorous downpour and storm

I stop and offered him a ride he lives in my neighborhood

he climbed in an offered his hand and thanked me for the ride

he said …. “ my name is Ted and I walked from town seems my battery is dead….. but I needed to walk and the exercise helped to clear the congestion in my head. I think it’s just the battery and that’s not a big deal….. I’ll have my wife drive me into town and jumpstart the battery. She would have come this afternoon but I know she was visiting her mom. She’s in the Hospital in another town and she isn’t doing well today.”

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He directed me to a simple home not far from where I live. It was obvious that it was important how he kept his house and yard was immaculate. He offered to pay for the ride and I shook my head and declined. However it was no coincidence that we met that day because my new friend changed my life.

Over the next few weeks our paths crossed and we exchanged numbers and set up a time for us to meet with our wives  to grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant. The camaraderie was obvious and it was a very relaxed atmosphere. Ted’s wife was pleasant and polite, talkative but not chatty. We ordered….. the food arrived shortly and that was interesting….

The waitress delivered the food and I thought what Ted ordered and what he received wasn’t the same as my recollection. Ted and his wife started chuckling…..Nancy said…..” Well honey…go or no go”…..Ted said “ just what I’m supposed to have…. We practice a rule if we’re out having dinner and the order isn’t right but we can work around it …. we just roll with the program….. it’s my turn this month I suppose.”

We prayed and I was moved by their simple act of dealing with a situation that could have become an issue that disrupted our dinner. Joan my wife commented on the way home she had mixed feelings about what happened with the order… ending her comment with… “ well he seemed to enjoy what he ended up with…. Anyway.”

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It was these interactions that were an example of a family focused on approaching life with the attitude of “make the best of it.”

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Nancy’s mother needed support and they decided against a nursing home…..so they moved in to her home and Ted commuted for a few years before he retired. I really miss them. I resist saying they were an “Average Family”, they were anything but average. Modest….income….. modest home…..incredible sense of gratitude and respect for each other and for what gifts they had received.

We cried when we said goodbye and laughed with tears in our eyes…….good people are never average….. just doesn’t happen.

Someone will need assistance along your journey…..offer a helping 🤚 hand….. they may change your life…. Like Ted

🦍