Growing up in a family of 8, when the baby cried, everyone scrambled around to find the pacifier. It seemed it was always lost! So our family hero was my brother, Zach. He was three years younger than I and at 5 years old was completely reliable to have noticed where the pacifier had last been seen and recover it from under the sofa cushion--right before we left for church.
Attentiveness can make you a hero.
In my family a few years ago, on our way out the door we realized the keys were lost. After a volley of accusations between family members, we spread out high and low searching for the silver keys with the scorpian keychain (a disgusting addition that I received gratefully from some friend returning from mission to South America). We regrouped after a half an hour frustrated and annoyed. We had searched the garage where we had suspected they had last been, the backyard, and the house. Bethan had admitted to having had them last, our sweet fairy child was known for absentmindedness and a repentant heart. Back and forth the five of us searched the house and the garage. Bethan became very focused and attentive at that point and in minutes the keys were spotted hooked and camouflaged by the chain link fence. She became the Heroine of the Scorpian Key chain!
It may seem a boring hum drum word: attentiveness. Why bother with it? But its a hero's secret power.
Last year we lost our dog, Jackson, who we'd reared from birth. He was five years with us and had to be replaced as soon as possible. After several months of hunting, Chad found a comparable Schnauzer named Meiko. We took him to our 70 acre farm where someone had the idea to let him go natural "off the leash". He promptly ran North without stopping. It was the day before Thanksgiving and a winter storm was rolling in. Before bedtime, the kids were crying with worry before for their beloved Meiko. The next day after a lazy Thanksgiving meal, the men headed out to track down the dog. Needing an escape from the incessant chatting, Chad and his old boss, Jim headed out to the neighboring farms. They came back after awhile empty handed, but encouraged that the neighbors around the farm were well known for caring for stray dogs. Some time later I got a text from Chad with a photo of Meiko that said, "Is this him?"
"Yes, totally!"
"The neighbor we talked to yesterday's daughter heard our description, " Chad explained "and then spotted him on a facebook page for local happenings." The kids were thrilled to learn he had been picked up only an hour after leaving the farm and well cared for over Thanksgiving. A simple "spotting"--a moment of attentiveness--was a world of love and comfort to our little family.
Don't underestimate the power of
attentiveness.
