My friend Michelle told me a story
this spring that was so inspirational. Then
“life” happened and I got distracted by summer – swimming, traveling, hosting
guests… I am sorry to say, I didn’t
write much. And not only that, I didn’t
open my eyes all that widely to look for kindness, either. And that makes me sad.
But, lucky for you and lucky for ME,
I am now sitting down and putting “pen to paper” (which is a complete
fabrication, because I am actually putting keys to keyboard, but that doesn’t flow
as well in English, does it?). Are you ready
to be inspired by Michelle’s story?? Let
me share it.
First off, here is MICHELLE.
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| Michelle and nature |
Isn’t she gorgeous?? I think she should model, but that is a
discussion for another time.
Now, to understand that story of her
kindness, you need to know about something that I had never heard of until she
told me: NATIVE AMERICAN FETISHES. She collects fetishes, and here is how she
explained what they are to me, “‘Fetish’ is a term
used to describe the carvings that Native Americans believed to hold special
powers. According to Native Americans, stone animal fetishes were a
source of aid to a person in a time of need. Some examples are:
Bears are for strength and self-introspection
Frogs for fertility
Owls are protectors of the home
And the list goes on….
Michelle collects
these fetishes. She isn’t sure that she
is Native American, but her grandfather believed that the family was. Michelle would love to find out for sure though!
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| Michelle and her fun loving son |
Another thing about Michelle, she is
deaf. And maybe because of that, and
because of the difficulties communication with strangers can bring, she does not
like talking to people she doesn’t know. She explained, “Being deaf, I’m always
afraid I won’t be able to read their lips. If that happens, the
conversation can get awkward really fast.”
And one last thing about
Michelle before I tell you the story of her kindness, she is a private
person. She does not share a lot on
social media, and I rarely see her in person.
So, I was super honored when she opened up and shared this beautiful
story:
“Last year I was on a trip and had a
layover in Baltimore. I was in the
pre-board area waiting to board my flight, and I notice a VERY ill woman in a
wheelchair whose husband was rubbing her back.
She clearly had cancer and was in an incredible
amount of pain. I couldn’t look at her
without sobbing. I was just so heartbroken
for her and her husband that it wrecked me.
I boarded the flight
after the woman and sat diagonally behind her.
I watched her and I cried the entire flight. I kept thinking to myself that I wanted so
badly to help her, but there was nothing to be done. I mean, seriously, what could I do?! And as I was
thinking that to myself, I didn’t realize I was holding my necklace and praying
into it. And that is when it occurred to
me: I was wearing my horse fetish necklace.
Anyone who knows me
knows that I collect Native American fetishes.
Native Americans believe that animals have powers: buffalo for power, bears for strength, horses for healing… It was at that moment that I knew my necklace
really belonged to her. My beloved horse
had served his purpose with me and now need to go with her.
Once I realized that I
needed to give it to her, I rehearsed in my head what I would say. I had never given a fetish to a complete
stranger before, but I just knew this had
to be done – she needed it.
But would she accept it? Would
she be offended?? Might she smile? Would she throw it back at me – yell? And if she didn’t accept it, then what would I
do?? I was so nervous...
When our plane landed
in New Mexico I stayed behind while she got off. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it
in my head – I thought I might pass out.
I finally got off the plane and saw my aunt waiting for me. I started bawling again and explained the
situation to her. She then joined my
mission to help me get the fetish to the woman.
We caught up with the
woman and her husband just outside security, and my aunt ran ahead to stop them
and said to her, “My niece has something she would like to say to you”. I got down on my knees next to the woman and,
with a shaking voice, told her how nervous I was. I explained how I hated seeing her in so much
pain. I asked if she knew about Native
American fetishes and their meaning – she did not. I put the horse in her hand and told her that
horses are known for healing powers and strength, and that this horse belonged
to her now. I looked at her husband, who
was ready to cry, and told him to keep taking such great care of her. Then I looked back at the frail woman, closed
the horse in her hand, and told her to be well.”
Isn’t that such a
beautiful story of kindness??? Michelle took
time to notice, to show compassion, and to act. So often we see others in pain and we think,
like Michelle did, “What can I do??”. Most
of us stop there. Michelle was amazingly
kind in sharing of herself, her horse, and most importantly I think – her genuine compassion and feelings. I think that she not only made the woman feel
loved, but I am sure that the husband was also deeply touched. I wouldn’t be surprised if that couple has
told the story of “the nice woman with the horse in the airport” many, many
more times than Michelle has!
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| A genuine heart and a kind soul |
Michelle told me, “I
was sobbing on the plane. But when I actually
spoke with the woman, I didn’t cry at all, I held it back. When we parted ways, I started crying
again. After I gave the necklace to her,
I felt every bit of tension leave my body. This was a truly different
experience for me. It touched my
soul. I felt like I truly, genuinely did
something good for someone.”
I agree 100% Michelle –
you did do something good, something amazing.
Michelle said, “Her husband never said a word, he just listened and cried. And the woman tried to take in everything I was
saying and just said, ‘Thank you’. I could
see the smile behind the pain in her eyes.
I didn’t want to drag out a conversation with her. I just knew this had to be done – that horse
belonged to her. I knew if I didn’t do
it, I would regret it. Words didn’t really
need to be said.”
Michelle, thank you
for your kindness. You are an
inspiration. May we all work to be as
aware, as compassionate, and as kind
as you.
