Monday, April 16, 2012

A Strangers Kindness

This weekend we took in the fun of the local Boise State Football spring game. Chicken has claimed he would play there since he was four, and the last few years he has been looking up to Bronco Shea McClelin, also nicknamed Chicken Dinner.  Shea just graduated and is headed off to the NFL Draft. I assume Chicken will follow whatever team gets the luck of picking up Shea.

Before the scrimage the first Optomist sign ups for the year occur also. Chicken has been pretty jazzed at getting to start Optomist flag football next year so we decided to do his weigh in and sign up at the kick off.  When we finished sorting him out for sign ups we were told the kids could go out and play through drill with some of the Boise State Football players on the field.  As we headed out towards the field Chicken got noticably quiter.  As we hit the edge of the field, where parents were allowed he froze, suddenly my crazy loud outgoing boy was so shy he was on the verge of crying. This isn't the first time that the excitement of the moment has brough Chicken to this frozen shy fear.  Sometimes I can get him to snap out of this frozen state and have a great time, we knew if he would only go out there he would love it.  Thankfully another mom stepped in.

While Chicken sat on my knee and I tried everything I could to get him out on the field a mom right next to us looked over and told us her son used to be just like that.  Her and I chatted a bit and her ten year old came back from running around on the field. At that moment she broke off chatting and talked with her son quietly for a few moments. Next thing I knew her son was in front of Chicken asking if he would go out on the field with him, all it took was a few words and Chicken was in. Relief washed over me as he headed off to the field and had a wonderful time. I could not be more thankful for this mother reaching out and asking he son to help us. Hopefully in a few years we can return the favor to another boy in need of someone to head out on the field. 

Both boys had fun and I thanked the other boy and mother again profusely for the time they took to help out Chicken.  As a parent I experience these moments of other parents helping out. Has a total parent stranger giving you a hand, have you ever done something like this?

This is when I know all parents are superheros, they see anothers pain and help relieve it.

1 comment:

  1. Love it! I am still thankful to this day to a stranger helping me unload my shopping cart onto the conveyor belt at WinCo. I had all three kids, the girls were fighting, Jonathan was a baby and melting down, and this man in a business suit, just trying to buy his lunch, helped me out. Maybe he was a Dad and knew what I was going through, maybe he figured if he helped he would get to buy his food faster, whatever, it was huge. I've been the mom encouraging my kids to help others too. Margot and Hanna have greater confidence due to the fact they have usually had each other to rely on. It takes a village...

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