Thursday, April 30, 2009

In Praise of the Kindness of Strangers

There have been more instances than I’m comfortable speaking about when, save for the kindness of strangers, I would have been in deep trouble, of whatever nature it might have been. At times, I have been overwhelmed by how kind and helpful most people are.

Right now, I am benefiting from such acts of kindness. In Southern Alberta, most RV parks open around the third weekend of May only, as snow and cold can occur any month of the year. Besides, I know for a fact that most ranchers and farmers start very early in the year praying for moisture. The area is very dry with often no more than 22% humidity. So many ardent prayers do not go unanswered and April is sometimes the month with the most precipitation. Which brings me to my predicament. . .

For the past 8 to 10 days we have been experiencing night temperatures falling below freezing. I needed a shoreline electric connection since the batteries power diminishes in direct proportion to the lack of degrees at night. A friend graciously offered to have me stay by her sister and brother-in-law’s and connect to their house current. I gratefully accepted after I’d been refused by a campground that was to remain closed in response to my request for power that I would pay for, even with the gate wide open in the middle of a snow storm. It became an almost life-saving gesture as I suffered a serious attack of asthma triggered by the cold, which necessitated medical intervention.

So here’s to expressing my deeply felt gratitude to Goldina, Gerrylee, and Jason for their kindness. May they and their families be blessed in all ways.

Perhaps it is true that A Stranger is a Friend you haven’t met yet.

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