by: Rev. Mona Dale, Advisory Board
When my youngest son was three years old, I left him in the very capable hands of his father while I ran a quick errand to the drugstore. I was gone for less than 30 minutes but when I returned, I was greeted by the primal cries of a wounded warrior who was sitting on the kitchen counter in a pool of blood with a washcloth pressed to his forehead by his frantic father who looked up and sheepishly said, “I think we’re going to have to get this one fixed.”
So, we scooped up the boy, went out to the car, quickly buckled him into his booster seat, and raced to the hospital where we were told to wait in the ER until a doctor was available to stitch him up. And as I sat there, waiting with a wiggly boy on my lap, I noticed a woman with a wiggly girl about the same age as my son sitting directly across the room from us.
She didn’t look like me, dress like me, or talk like me. In fact, she didn’t speak any English but when we made eye contact, we knew exactly what each other was thinking. Our mutual bond of motherhood and shared moment of crisis said it all. I smiled and shook my head. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Then she came over with her little one, sat down next to me and patted my arm as if to say, “We’re going to get through this together.”
Today, while our community continues to struggle with the lingering threat of a pandemic, the chaos of war in Ukraine, and the tension that naturally arises from differing opinions on politics, religion, mask mandates and more, it could be tempting to isolate ourselves in order to avoid a potential confrontation. But true comfort and peace can only be found when we recognize our commonalities and reach out to one another in love.
Here are just a few ways you can let others know that we’re better together:
- Welcome our new neighbors from Afghanistan by providing transportation, setting up housing, or sharing a skill.
https://www.awakeninc.org/marrc - Teach a class or volunteer to be a companion for people in recovery.
Get Involved – Recovery Cafe Muncie - Volunteer to send cards, make phone calls, or provide assistance to some of our homebound neighbors.
Volunteer – LifeStream Services (lifestreaminc.org) - Build a ramp, fix a leaky faucet, install a handrail, and more for neighbors in need of small home repairs.
Home Savers Of Delaware County | We help make homes safe, warm, and dry. (homesaversmuncie.org) - Say hello, share a coffee, tutor a child, make a donation…there are endless opportunities for reaching out and creating moments of comfort and peace. We CAN get through this together.
Rev. Mona Dale is the pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Muncie and is a member of the Education Support Hub Advisory Board.
