Not long ago, only 2 miles from my house, a 5-yr old girl died after being hit by a car. In a momentary flash of bad luck, lives were turned upside down. I didn’t know the family but that didn’t matter. For days, I was haunted by the devastation wrought to the family and even to the driver. The only thing that brought me out of this stupor was asking myself what I could do to make the world a better place, and then do it.
So what can we do differently? Live a softer, gentler life. Be more patient with our kids. Take just one more moment to be with them. Be present in that moment, and every moment for that matter. Don’t use your phone while driving. Not even when the light is red. Be more vigilant on the street. Don’t let your guard down while driving a machine that can kill people. Realize that we are all just one push from the nest, one flash of bad luck away from a life turned upside down.
Later that week, I was walking across the street and a couple were walking next to me, barely watching their toddler cross and not holding his hand. I was horrified, scared. I slowed down to make sure he got across safely, while the parents were five steps ahead. I wanted to tell them this awful story about the girl, to tell them how I felt, to make them realize that life is so much more precious than any of us give it credit for. But I decided not to. I have a policy of not giving unsolicited advice to parents and I decided to stick to it. I regretted it almost immediately.
What do you think? Should I have told them? Would it have made a difference?