I’d like to share a couple of stories this week that help me feel a little bit of hope. Something to counter the dark news reports that only seem to get worse each day. 

Both stories are true, and since they make me feel better, I hope they will do the same for you. 

The first happened at an airport, after an elderly lady fell on the escalator on her way to her gate. She was helped by two gate agents who had been close enough to save her from what could have been an even more frightening experience.

Once off the escalator, she was shaking and insistent that she didn’t need help, but she was unsteady on her feet so she was put into a wheelchair, and the EMTs were called because her hand was bleeding.

Once her hand was bandaged and her report given in halting English to the airport police officers who had arrived with the EMTs, I sat with her to chat and get her mind off of things until her flight was called. She was going to visit her son, she said, and it was her first flight in many years.

When the gate agent came over to take her boarding pass and make sure she had assistance to her seat, and also at the airport on the other end (she had a layover), a man approached, his own boarding pass in hand.

“It looks like you’ve had a rough time of it this morning,” he said. The elderly lady smiled hesitantly and said she was fine, just fine. “Well, I’d like to switch seats with you. Might be easier for you in First Class.”

Despite the lady’s objections, the man worked with the smiling gate agent to make the change. He patted the lady’s hand when she realized he wasn’t going to change his mind, and she thanked him, looking confused.

“You just feel better, ma’am,” he said, and returned to his seat.

I thanked the man again after the lady had been wheeled down the jetbridge, and he just waved me away and said it was nothing.

It wasn’t nothing.

**

The second story took place on a beautiful late spring day, when I had errands to run.

I was on my way to the store, traveling on a busy road, when traffic slowed to a stop. I saw a moving truck in the breakdown lane and hoped it wasn’t an accident. To the right was a small field, where a beautiful doe was standing, waiting for something.

I looked back to the road and saw a young man quickly, but gently, herding a tiny fawn across the road towards the field. Once the mother caught sight of them, she leapt away, almost making it to the other side of the field until she stopped. I was mesmerized by her graceful movements, but when she stopped, I looked back to the young man. He had begun to walk away to his truck, but looked back to see the little fawn hadn’t moved.

He turned and made shooing motions and soon the fawn was picking its way out of the grass at the edge of the field. When it caught sight of its mother, it picked up the pace and soon they had disappeared.

None of us moved until they were out of sight. The young man waved at traffic to let everyone know it was all clear, and slowly we continued on our way. I’m not sure how anyone else felt, but the beauty of the deer and the kindness of that young man made my day.

**

A couple of true stories that I hope add some light to the dark.

Please feel free to comment with your own stories of hope that could help make someone smile.