A SON'S GENEROSITY

Enoch was in first grade.  He was a sensitive child and very concerned about other people’s feelings.  We attended a small church of about 75 people of all ages.  One Sunday after the service I watched Enoch head to the back of the church to “visit” with an elderly woman I really hadn’t noticed before.  She was dressed in extremely worn clothes, and her coat looked as though it could hardly keep her warm during the bitterly cold winter.  As they finished talking Enoch ran back to me, and spoke with great conviction that next Sunday “we need to bring that old woman a pair of socks”.  He said it with such firmness that it never occurred to me to argue with him.  The next Sunday Enoch quietly headed to the last pew where the old woman always sat, and gave her two pair of socks which we had picked out for her.  

On our way home from church Enoch again spoke with great conviction when he remarked, “We need to bring that old woman lunch next Sunday”.  Amazed, all I could think to say was, “Are you sure?”  He didn’t waver, as he assured me we needed to bring her food.  That week we collected some non-perishables in a box, and took the food to church with us.  The old woman was not at church that day so we got her address and drove there.  The only word that comes close to describing her home was “shack”.  Enoch had sensed what I was just now realizing which was the poverty this women lived in.  The woman was not at home so we left the box of food by her door with a hand written note by Enoch telling her who it was from.  We saw the old woman a few more times before she simple disappeared from our lives.  

What did I learned from my 7 year old son through this encounter?  I learned to not just notice people, but to really see them!   I learned to help others when we have the opportunity because we never know when they will disappear from our life.  I learned to trust the intuition of my son, and to respect and encourage his compassion for others. 

Enoch turns 35 in March.  He’s never lost his concern for others.  During college he worked with an organization in Spokane that provided meals for homeless and other indigent folk, and he spent some time with Peace Corps.   Enoch has always preferred to use his computer skills working for non-profit organizations which assist people in one way or another.  The last time I was with Enoch at a restaurant in Boise he got up from the table, and headed outside when he noticed a blind woman who was having trouble finding her bus.  Enoch hasn’t changed a bit from that boy who noticed the old woman in the back pew those many years ago.  And I strive to be as observant and caring for others as he is.