It’s a cold MN winter morning. I take a seat on the crowded bus and begin replying to emails and text messages as I wait for the commute to begin.
Two ladies chat quietly. One answers her phone and as we begin to move, she starts to cry – quietly at first, then with desperation and sadness, fear and grief, her body shaking.
The stricken, concerned faces of those around her brought me nearly to tears. It was as if the world stopped and people became people, strangers no longer.
A lady moved two seats back immediately, turned her face to the crying woman, raised her hand to her shoulder, closed her eyes, and sent loving, healing energy that even I could feel in the seat behind her. A man, visibly wanting to help but hopeless and confused sat to my left. People turned off their music, removed their ear buds. We sat in Silence. Sobs. Silence.
A woman, perplexed, sitting at the front of the bus looked back with tears in her eyes…real tears, loving tears, grieving tears, understanding tears.
20 minutes passed.
As the first stop neared and the weeping woman prepared to depart, she was surrounded by love; hands reached out to her, helping her stand, guiding her off the bus, holding her up…hands of strangers who reached out in love and compassion.
This morning in the January cold, the love and warmth that surrounds all of us was real and alive. It brought strangers together in compassion…right there on the bus during my regular morning commute on a below zero day in Minnesota. And no one spoke a word yet the message was unforgettable.
People are amazing. Sending prayers to the woman and her family as they struggle through this time of grief…of which I know no details…none at all, but one thing I know for certain: I know she is loved.
Inspiring New Leaders 