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Something to think about....
This is an absolutely true story about an event that took place after one of the articles about Armando and the tornado appeared in one of the local newspapers. To view the original article click here. Although I am not a " church going" religious type person I do believe in a higher power or powers out there over seeing us and events that transpire. So, I guess the best way to tell this story is to just jump in and start telling it. But first I need to give you a bit of background on events that had previously transpired for clarification. It all started with a general email that was forwarded to me during the week after the tornado and Armando's death. It was originally from Father Shaun at St. John's church in Osgood and was a basic response for help for many of the victims of the devastation. It was forwarded to me because Armando and the tragedy in Holton were the subject of the email.
Never having met Father Shaun or even been involved with the church I wrote back to him thanking him for his thoughts and explaining my fears about raising the much needed money to get Armando back to his family in Mexico. These fears as I mentioned to him were not only based on the huge expenses involved in this endeavor but also due to many present day views on immigration and the role that many Spanish speaking people play in the job market. I said that although I knew many negative attitudes existed at present I hoped that someday this would all change. I also told him that I had hoped that people would realize that Armando was just another human being like the rest of us....just a man trying to make a living and support his family. I concluded my email with "I guess the journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step". Remember this because this is important to the rest of the story.
As I re-read his email before sending my reply I again read his last comment. It said:
"Let us pray that God puts us where we need to be when we need to be there".
For some reason these words just "stuck with me"!
Having given you the background I can now continue with this story.
As I had said, the articles about Armando and our endeavor to raise money had just been published in the local newspapers and it was amazing to see cards, letters and donations all coming in either hand delivered or through the mail etc. As I was sitting here one morning in a solemn state thinking about Armando and everything that had happened and was happening someone knocked on the door. As had been happening I figured it was someone bringing a donation. When I opened the door there appeared in front of me an older gentleman. I invited him in and that's when things started to happen.
He said that he just saw the article in the paper and when he saw the smile on Armando's face he just knew Armando was a good person and he drove straight here to the nursery. He drove straight here because he said he felt this overwhelming need to not only donate money to help but that he wished there was someway he could just tell Armando's parents that their son was a genuinely good person. This man.....this stranger....a man that had never before seen or met Armando could just tell from his photo that he was a good man, and he wanted to tell his parents the same. He didn't know how to do all that but he came to share it and to give me the $25.00 he had in his pocket. Well, we both did everything we could to keep from breaking down as men do. But we must have shook hands a dozen times as we talked. I could feel the years of hard work and the arthritis in his hands. He told me he was 67 years old and had never done anything like this before but just felt compelled to do so. He just felt like he had to come! To come and tell his parents. Amazing!
As he was leaving and I was standing on the porch watching this man make his way down the steps I could tell that he was a man that not only worked hard all his life but that he had arthritis in more than just his hands. As he reached the bottom step he stopped and turned to me and said, " You know those people that when they get together they sit around and bad mouth the Mexicans?". I replied yes. He then said "Well, I was one of those people!" He said that until very recently he felt, believed and said himself all the negative things that you hear. Then he said "but, when I saw Armando's picture and that smile, I knew he was just another man like me. Just a man trying to make a living and take care of his family"! I had just said those same exact words to Father Shaun...WHEW!!!!....I wanted to just jump down the steps and hug this man.....WHEW!!!! .....Pretty Amazing!!!....Coincidence????...Fate?????......???????
Maybe the journey of a thousand miles really does BEGIN with one small step!
Maybe Armando really WAS in the place he needed to be when he was needed to be there........WHEW!!
This story is what "I felt compelled" to tell!
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