Jump

A few weeks ago, I set off for Utah to visit the mighty five National Parks in Utah (Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion). My goal was to spend some time in the sunshine of southwestern Utah and avoid the slow thaw of Wisconsin’s winter. On Tuesday, April 2^nd, I pointed my car west and outran the rain by Des Moines, Iowa. The remainder of my 816 mile drive that day was partly cloudy and cold.

I stopped for the night in Ogallala, Nebraska. I am not sure why I am drawn to this town in my travels west. Maybe it is because my daily limit for driving is about thirteen hours, or maybe it is because of the connection to the town I have for that very memorable stop with the family years ago (see Ogallala on My Joy Journey with Amy).

I grabbed a burger at the Open Range Grill before relaxing in my hotel room for the night. The next day I had plans to get on the road early to make it over the Rocky Mountains and into Utah.

The following morning, I was anxious to tackle the remaining 600 plus miles to Moab, Utah, but I needed gas and a Diet Mountain Dew before hitting the road. As I exited the convenience store with my Dew, a man approached me.

“Can you give my truck a jump?” he asked.

Although I was in a hurry to get moving on my journey, his look of helplessness caused me to pause. First, I know Amy would have said yes without hesitation. Second, I had just written a reflection, Chasing Sunlight, calling for more empathy and kindness in the world. What kind of hypocrite would I be if I passed up an opportunity to share a little kindness that would delay me only a few minutes.

“Sure” I replied and pulled my car around to his truck. I was driving Amy’s Toyota RAV4 and it took me a couple of seconds to remember where the latch was on her hood. As I struggled to find it, I apologized to the man telling him it was my wife’s car. I finally found the latch and popped the hood. After a few seconds, the man had attached the cables, and his wife started their truck. He quickly detached the cables.

As I was lowering my hood and with Amy’s spirit in my heart, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share my blogs with the couple. As they thanked me, I awkwardly asked them for a favor. “I have a blog where I chronicle my grief journey since losing my wife.” I said. “Amy was the love of my life and filled with joy and kindness. It would provide me comfort on my journey if you could check out a story or two on the blog.”

They nodded as I handed them my cards for the blog and they thanked me for my assistance. The encounter only delayed me five minutes and I quickly forgot the incident as I cruised another 600 miles. I made Moab by 3:30 PM in the afternoon.

After two long days in the car, I decided I wanted to get my body moving the next day. I planned to complete two hikes. In the morning, I would do a warmup hike of three miles up to Arches National Park’s iconic delicate arch. It is a 1.6-mile hike up 1,000 feet of elevation. After completing this hike, I would head straight for the Devil’s Garden area of the park that offers an approximately 8-mile hiking trail that passes by a half dozen arches. This trail is primitive, so I carried my larger backpack with additional layers for warmth if needed. I also took a freeze-dried meal to cook for lunch along with my camp stove and fuel.

It was a challenging day. The trail was much more primitive than I had anticipated so it took me longer to complete. I carefully made my way along the trail in unseasonable cold temperatures in the low 40’s. I was gassed by the time I completed all 12 miles and I headed back to town for dinner. I found a local bar and rewarded myself with a couple of cocktails and a meal.

My plan for the next day was to revisit Arches and take photos and video of some of the more accessible sights along the main road that I had passed quickly the previous day. I would then head up to Canyonlands National Park for a shorter hike.

The next morning, I had some time to jump online and read my email that I had ignored the past couple of days. In it, I found this message:

My wife and I felt the need to quickly reach out.  We woke up this morning on a mission to get some out-of-town errands done. Living in a small town and working just a minute away, my battery doesn’t get enough time to charge.  As always you don’t think much of it until it is a problem.  As we waited to find a kind stranger or maybe someone from our community we recognized to help jump our vehicle, we were met by a couple individuals who unfortunately declined before we asked you. 

Despite not being from the area and obviously stopping quickly to continue on your journey, you were kind enough to stop and help.  In a world nowadays where we are so nervous of our neighbors and reluctant to help a stranger it is good to see good people exist! . . . Our hearts go out to you and your journey to find direction in life without your wife.  All I can think about is your comment as you were trying to open the hood that this was your wife’s vehicle. . . please know how much your simple act of kindness meant by you and your wife, as it was your wife’s vehicle that truly jumped life into our vehicle and allowed us to continue on our own journey.

If you are ever back in the area please reach out!! Much love in this crazy world.  May you find peace.

Amy always said, you never know the impact a single act of kindness can have on someone’s day. I would soon learn that for myself.

To be Continued . . .