Christmas Wish

On Saturday, a friend and I were returning home from a hunting trip with our two sons. About halfway home, on our four-hour-plus trip, we stopped for gas and to grab a sandwich. After filling up the truck with gas, I sat outside the sandwich shop waiting for my friend and the two boys to emerge. As I did, I was approached by a woman who appeared to be distraught.

The woman told me that she was 62 years old and was making her way alone from Texas to Tennessee. Along the way, she had stopped for gas, and her purse had been stolen with her wallet and cell phone inside. She had filed a police report, which she said she could show me, but had no choice but to continue on her trip. She told me that the police were kind enough to pay for her gas before she had continued on her way. Now with nearly 400 miles still yet to travel, she didn’t know how she could make it without a single penny.

Between sobs, the woman offered to sell me a digital camera that she still had or the diamond earrings she was wearing. She just needed to raise enough money to complete her trip. My thoughts went immediately to my wife. I would certainly hope someone would help her if she ever faced similar circumstances. So I gave this lady enough money to complete her journey and my cell phone number in case she encountered any problems along the way.

Our discussion in the truck after this experience was about whether or not I had just been “taken” by a 62-year-old woman or if, indeed, she really was in dire straits. We all agreed her tears had seemed real and she had been very convincing, yet some doubts remained. In reflecting upon the situation, I told my son that whether she truly was in need or if this woman was just desperate enough to concoct this elaborate story, either way the money was obviously more important to her than it was to me.

Yet over the next day or so, I continued to wonder whether or not I had been scammed. The opinions of my family members were mixed, just as my own opinion wavered back and forth. Then it dawned on me. Who cares whether or not I got taken by this gray-haired lady? I could afford what I gave her. If she truly was in need and the money I provided got her home safely, then I feel good about being able to help. If she was scamming me and put a few extra bucks in her pocket the week before Christmas, then she’ll have a merrier holiday. Either way I made someone happy.

Every day we’re bombarded with news stories about all the bad things that people do. Often these stories are made to shock us, to grab our attention. As a result, we become more and more skeptical and jaded. And we’re apt to be much more cynical about our fellow man. We look at those around us as guilty until proven innocent.

I grew up in a small town where people didn’t need to lock their doors or even take the keys out of their cars in the driveways. It was a place where you could get credit at the local hardware store just by signing your name and where people would help one another because it was the right thing to do.

So my Christmas wish for you and for me is that we believe that people are good and well intentioned. I hope that we all can trust those around us and treat them with respect. You see, my experience this weekend taught me something. I can believe what this woman told me was true and take joy in being able to help her or I can assume she was lying and consider myself a fool. I much prefer to believe in her and feel joy! It’s as simple as that.