Wander & Wonder

The island of Montreal is literally frozen—cars buried in mountains of snow, stores not just closed but practically barricaded shut, and roads that look more like sand dunes than streets. As I stumbled along the non-existent sidewalks during my walk with Ghost, I noticed something interesting. So many people, whether passerby or fellow drivers, rushed to the rescue of those stuck, no questions asked. Yet, just as many sat in their cars, watching, waiting for the person ahead of them to solve an impossible problem on their own. In fact, my own car was stuck too. As Tony bravely shoveled a path for my car (while I simply sat in the warm seat following his instructions to reverse then BLAST OFF), a neighbor we had never even met came out of his house, shovel in hand, and helped dig us out. Without his help, it would have taken double or even triple the time. We went back to his appartment afterwards to offer him a bottle of wine as a sign of our gratitude, but he smiled and politely declined, saying a simple ‘thank you’ was more than enough. I want to always strive to be the person who gets out and helps, rather than the one who sits back, waiting for someone else to step in. Today was a reminder that we always have a choice in how we show up for others. Will we make the right one?