The other night, Col K, Momnop and I were having one of our late night sessions in Mudchat. Jeanie is often there too, but her phone line was down. Colin asked a question which has stayed in my mind, and I don't think that he'd mind if I shared it with you. He asked, "What is the greatest thing you've ever done?" I had to stop and think a minute. Did he mean greatest achievement? Or, the thing that gave me the greatest pleasure, or sense of pride? Or, the best thing that I've done? Momnop had no problem. She said "that's easy..
giving birth to my son and trying to be the best Mother I can be for him." My answer took a little longer, and I'm still trying to answer the question. My first response was that I have no way of evaluating the "greatness" of the things that I've done in my life, but I do know that the greatest things that we do are out of love. Like everyone else, I take pride in the few real accomplishments I've had in my life. But I don't think that I'd list them as the "greatest" things I've done. And I realize that in all of them, it hasn't been me alone that has accomplished them.

Momnop grasped the question immediately, and her answer was the right one. When we do something out of pure love, with no selfish motives and give of ourselves without measure of the cost, that is the greatest thing we do. Bob Franke wrote a wonderful song many years ago about being a parent, with the memorable line "It's not the thing that I do best, but it's the best thing that I do." But, not all of us are parents, and we all do every-day great things that are quickly forgotten, and perhaps not even noticed by more than one of two people. And, if while we're doing them we're thinking, "Man, am I great, or what?" I question their greatness.

One thing we talked about was the gift of being there to help someone when they are struggling. As an example, early yesterday morning, I was downstairs, enjoying a leisurely start to the day, when I heard my wife running around upstairs. I figured something was wrong, and immediately ran upstairs. She had heard someone calling for help outside. It was pouring rain, and barely above freezing, and when we first looked out the front door, we couldn't see anyone. And then we saw our neighbor, lying flat on her back on a bank of snow and ice next to her mail box. She's had a long history of strokes, and my first thought was that she'd had a massive stroke and was paralyzed. All I had on was a night shirt and a pair of thin, floppy slippers, but when I saw her, my only thought was to help her. So, I ran out in the pouring rain, sloshing through the ice water that was flowing down the street until I reached her. She had been lying flat on her back in that pouring rain for a long time, and she was afraid that she was just going to die there. As I started to help her up, a car was driving by and saw us. As the guy said, he thought I must be some kind of whacko to be going out dressed the way that I was, in the pouring rain. And then he saw our neighbor. Between us, we helped her up and got her into the house. By then, my wife was getting dressed, and she came over to take care of her and make sure that she was allright. She hadn't had a stroke, but had slipped on the ice, and with her arthritic legs, she couldn't get up. We talked to her this morning and she is feeling fine (and I don't have pneumonia.) We're taking her to the doctor this morning for an already scheduled office visit, and he will make sure everything is allright with her.

Momnop then told a story of how she had been put in the right place at the right time to help a young boy who broke his arm. And I do believe that there is a common ingredient here. When we commit acts of completely selfless love, that is when we are greatest. Not all are as dramatic as running out in the pouring rain, or helping a young boy with a broken arm. Some are just every-day acts of love that are very simple... helping someone load a heavy box into their car, or just listening to someone who is desparately in need of a compassionate ear.

In these times when we're beaten down by threats of war and we see the ugliness of life around us, I thank Colin for asking that question. It is a reminder that there is a greatness in each of us. If we feel powerless to stop wars, there are people in need who we walk by, every day who would appreciate a little loving kindness.

Anyone got a good story to share?

Jerry