I love it when some one or some thing makes my day. And when I say “makes my day” I’m not referring to a momentary bright spot or burst of happiness that is quickly forgotten — I mean that whatever it is that I’ve heard or witnessed stays with me throughout the day as its images or words keep popping into my head, encouraging me, inspiring me … giving me that warm happy feeling that makes me feel that life is worth living.
Yesterday I happened to be at just the right place at just the right time to take in a Makes My Day (MMD) moment. It’s one I’d like to remember for a long time because it just touched my heart in such an unexpected way. Even now as I think and write about it my eyes are welling up and I’m getting goosebumps.
I witnessed a car accident.
Now for most of us, seeing two cars collide is NOT a MMD event. And I’m guessing that for the two drivers who locked front bumpers in the Wegmans parking lot last night (on Friday the 13th no less) it was certainly not the highlight of their day. They were just two people, probably stopping off on their way home from work to pick up a few things for dinner or maybe to drop mail off at the post office. I imagine that, just like me, they were relieved to finally be finished with their 9 – 5 routine and excited to have the weekend begin.
As fate would have it, however, these two drivers ended up exchanging insurance information instead of simply passing each other at the stop sign. I felt so bad for them. In the moment that I saw their cars sitting there and the damage to each, my heart sank. We’ve had our share of auto mishaps in the past couple of years and I know what a complete pain it is to deal with in the aftermath — calling the tow trucks, filling out police reports, the calls back and forth between insurance companies, dealing with the repair shop, being without a car or having the expense of a rental. I couldn’t help but feel sad knowing what these two people had in store for the next month or so.
The drivers had gotten out of their cars and were surveying the damage. For half a second I held my breath as I waited for the angry exchange that I felt was sure to follow. And then the woman started to cry. I felt her pain, knowing that if it were me, I’d be crying too.
The man walked around the front of the cars and approached the woman. I thought to myself, “Okay, here we go …”
And then it happened.
Rather than shaking his fist and shouting angry words, he reached out and put his arms around her and held her, gently patting her back. My heart skipped a beat as I saw him talking to her. I knew he was telling her it was all going to be okay. No need to be angry or upset, it was just one of those things that happen. Not worth crying about. Cars can be fixed. Thank goodness we’re both all right …
And so it was that in the midst of what was surely an unhappy point in his life, that man unknowingly made my day.
I know God was watching. In the depths of my heart I could almost see God smiling as he chalked up a few more points on the man’s scorepad.
Yes, indeed Mr. IGiveHugsNoMatterWhat. Two points for you.
