Gee Mamma, you're almost like a Cub Scout...

So after all the excitement of the morning I had to deliver a basket for one of my oldest and dearest clients. It's still just raining, raining, raining and being bored, Jack decided to ride along. I missed the exit, as usual and ended up having to take a different one and hit the red light at the bottom. Standing there in the miserable wet mess of the afternoon was a homeless person asking for help with the standard issue cardboard sign.

I hate sitting there trying to not look and answer Jack's questions about why someone would be standing there in the rain. I hate that anyone has to be out there in the rain hoping for help, I hate that so many are one paycheck away from being the one standing in the rain. It's raining, it's pouring, the poor man...

For some reason I rolled down the window and gave the man my umbrella. He just stared at me in shock. He told me he couldn't take it, he didn't want Jack or I to get wet. I told him we wouldn't melt and to please take it. He just looked at me with such gratitude and then cried and kept saying "God will bless you ma'am". I told him He already had.

The light turned green and went on our way. Jack watched the man in the rain until he was out of sight.

He: "You gave him your umbrella."

Me: "Yes, I know."

He: "You love your umbrella Mamma. Now what will you do?"

Me: "I thought I would borrow your spare for awhile."

He: "OK Mamma. Why did you give him your umbrella?"

Me: "He needed help and that's all I had that I could give him. He was wet, we weren't and we have more umbrellas in the car. It seemed like the right thing to do."

He: "Gee Mamma, you're almost like a Cub Scout. You help other people like we are supposed to."

I don't know why I did it, it felt like what I was supposed to do. I can't help who I am or that I was raised right. Not to mention that he is someone's son and I would hope that if my son were ever in need someone would help him. It is important to me that Jack be aware of how lucky he and we are. So many kids have no clue about kindness. They rush through life hurriedly trying to get everything they can for themselves, all "what's in it for me?". I don't think it means anything if you only tell the kid to behave and be nice and think about other people. They need to see it done quietly with no fanfare or expectation of reward. The reward will come in its own time... an unexpected order, a rainbow on a rainless day in a rainless week, an Andes mint hiding in the back of the fridge, a missed exit that ends up giving you the opportunity to help not just the man in the rain but your beautiful son who needs to realize that life is not always easy but helping someone else usually is.