Be the Good Samaritan

One of our sons was driving to work this past summer when he realized he was having car trouble. The car recovered, but at the next intersection, the car died. Unfortunately, he was not entirely through the intersection when it happened. What did he do? He called me. 

It's one of those calls you don't want to get as a parent because there's literally nothing you can do but try to talk them through it. I asked all the relevant questions. Yes, he was OK. Yes, he had turned it off and tried to start it again. No, the dashboard had no lights on to alert him to a specific problem. I was about to put him on hold to call AAA when he told me someone was approaching the car. 

I will be honest: I was initially worried when he told me that. Who was this individual? Was this going to be a stranger trying to take advantage of the situation? Instead of AAA, should I call the police? 

It was clear almost immediately that this was someone trying to help. Through the phone, I overheard this individual tell our son to put the car in neutral (I didn't even think of that), and he helped him push the car out of the remainder of the intersection. As they pushed the car together, the engine caught, and our son was able to bring the vehicle to our service station. 

Three things happened in that brief exchange between Patrick and a stranger:

• The stranger showed kindness, by stopping what he was doing and stepping in to help. 
• The stranger showed empathy, sharing with Patrick that it had happened to him before, and he knew what it felt like. 
• The stranger showed compassion, when Patrick admitted he didn't know what to do. He taught him how to move a car when the engine dies. 

At our Welcome Back Convocation at East Greenwich High School on Monday, August 26, I shared with all EGPS employees that this year, we are about greatness, not perfection. Perfection is impossible to attain, but greatness is within reach. Specifically, I offered that we all could be great if we demonstrated kindness, empathy, and compassion to our students, each other, and the families we serve in this community. I used the following examples: 

• For kindness: In the Summer Olympics, during a preliminary heat of the 100-meter dash, a South Sudanese runner fell to the ground in agony. Before medics could arrive, a fellow competitor from Laos rushed to her side.
• For empathy: Our Director of Student Support Services, Neil Marcaccio's father, passed away. He told me he received more than 150 handwritten notes and cards. 
• For compassion: I witnessed a hug between strangers at the grocery store after a tall stranger kept a short stranger from climbing the shelves to get an item that was out of reach. 

None of these moments I've described were Herculean efforts. Yet, they all made a difference in someone else's life. We are better together when we remember the humanity of others. 

This year, be the Good Great Samaritan.