This is an interesting thought don't you think?
We say YES to many things in our life as much as we also say NO to others. But what is behind these decisions of ours? Do we realise that sometimes they can have too far reaching consequences?
I remember being on holiday in London and receiving a call from a friend back home whose daughter had just given birth that afternoon and there were complications. The new born was taken with urgency to one of London's top child hospitals for emergency life saving operations. My friend was asking if I could go that night to see that all was alright. The enormity of my automatic "Yes, I'll see what I can do" hit me a few minutes later....I did not know the parents, nor they me. I knew no one in the hospital and I was not direct family, so they wouldn't let me in. And now it was late evening and dark, they wouldn't let me in anyway. I decided to sleep over the dilemma.
My thoughts were obviously influenced by the bright day that arrived next morning, so off I went to the hospital. On the way I continued to debate what the hell was I doing here after all. But something inside me persisted and I walked into the hospital and blurted my real story to the receptionist who somehow believed me. A quick check through the computer to see where the baby was came up with no answers. She phoned various departments, all to no avail. But she came back with the story that if this was such an emergency then it might not be posted on the system yet. Could I wait patiently for a while longer?
As eternity ticked away I was suddenly called to the desk where I saw the parents who had also just arrived and were worried to death because the baby couldn't be traced. They were informed who I was and as they looked at me in consternation I explained I was a family friend from back home. But they were so confused that all they could say was "thank you but we'll take it from here". So off I went feeling a bit stupid but at least with a quieted conscience that I had at least tried to do something. At least the grandparents would be satisfied with my attempt.
Over the following weeks the news from London was positive and the baby had undergone quite a few successful operations...and was going to be fine after all. Nonetheless I still felt that my "Yes" to respond to the grandparents' call was really a instrusion more than a help. I felt I had probably messed up more things in the anxiety of the moment than being of any real help.
Jump forward by just over a year - the baby was now one year old and walking. The family was coming for a summer holiday to their grandparents' home and I was one of friends invited to dinner. The young parents recognised me and we got talking and all my fears were brushed aside as they showed me how that unexpected visit by the "stranger" had effected them. They said that though they felt that the sky was falling on them at the time, at least they knew someone, unknown, cared. So perhaps there were others in this world who also cared. They were not alone.
That child is now more than 2 years old....a strong willed girl who I am sure will go places. I have photos of her when she was 3 days old and as she is now, but though I would like to share them with you here I feel that it is a breach of privacy.
BUT if you ever have to decide whether to reach out to fellow people in this world, no matter how crazy or useless that might seem to you. please always say YES not No. You don't know how much your support can mean to them. And to yourself.
