A Good Samaritan
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Most of us immediately think of the Biblical story as it relates to the good Samaritan whereby passersby overlooked a wounded man along the road and kept on walking to their destination unconcerned. Finally, a caring and sympathetic soul passed by and lifted up the injured man, taking him on to refuge. These days we have what are known as Good Samaritan laws which were created to “protect” those of us who find ourselves in a position to render aid to an unknown injured or sick person that we might find “along our way”, from being prosecuted and sued for “helping someone”. Amazing, isn’t it – where we’ve come?
I am proud to say that my teen son Austin is indeed a good Samaritan. I have seen this feature surface in him many times and in many different ways. Many characteristics describe my 16 year old son including boisterous, active, energetic, physical, spirited, hard headed, persistent, athletic, aggressive, fearless, forceful, friendly, impatient, hot tempered and even immature at times, but he is also perceptive and sensitive to the plight and problems of those around him. He has a strong 6th sense of knowing when someone is in need of some type of help and he doesn’t waste a moment doing just that – helping the person.
Many times he has come to me to let me know of something that he senses that a friend needs, such as a sweatshirt or jacket after a cold soccer match, or money for a meal or a ride home when no one has arrived to pick up a friend late at night after a game. Austin will take the coat right off of his own back to give to a friend in need or pull out a crumpled last dollar or two and quietly hand it over without anyone knowing – I have seen him do all of these things, quietly, unprompted, no words spoken. He looks for no recognition, no accolades, no return favor. Austin is known to keep an eye out for a seeming under-dog in the bunch and makes it his business to pull him into the fold. He has been notoriously known for sometimes getting himself into some trouble especially on the soccer field when he has stepped into the line of fire, so to speak to “take up” for a teammate who may have been dealt an inappropriate “hit”, let us say. He reacts before he thinks at times, letting his passion for both the game and the friend get in the way of perhaps better judgement.
Just a couple of weeks ago at a college showcase soccer tournament, one of his buddies was “taken out” and went down with an injury. The boy was unable to get up which usually draws the attention of the referee and the coach may need to enter the field. Austin went right over to inspect the damages and literally scooped this boy (bigger the Austin) right up from the ground into his arms and carried him off the field to the bench. It was almost a spectacle. Austin returned to the playing field and went on about the business of helping to win the game with no further thought. He would have carried that boy over a mountain if he had to and would have been proud to do it. It made me think of a commonly heard military slogan: The Few, The Proud, The Marines. I was proud of Austin as I witnessed his passion, his strength, his sacrifice, his tenacity and most of all the humanism to be a Good Samaritan!
As parents of teens, have others experienced this sort of moment of human triumph over the ills of contemporary society?
