in Checking In

Hallie to the rescue

During a recent school event, one of Hallie’s classmates suffered a medical emergency. While her other classmates stood around and watched, gripped with panic, Hallie leaped into action and performed first aid (the amusing thing is that up until now she considered the first aid class she took to be a waste of time). Once her friend had recovered, Hallie continued with the event as if nothing happened, and didn’t even mention it to us afterward. We were clueless when the child’s parent passed on her praise Hallie for her reaction, not knowing anything about our daughter’s quick thinking (and acting). It was only last night that we managed to pry the details out of her. To Hallie it was no big deal.

But it is a big deal. Too often, something happens to someone and the people around don’t react. They become gripped in fear. Paralyzed with indecision. What is happening? What do I do? Maybe someone else will help.

Maybe someone else will help. But not everyone is willing to jump in and do what they can, even if it isn’t enough. Even if they don’t know what they’re doing. For Hallie to act, for her to roll up her sleeves and dive in when others did not, that makes me enormously proud as a parent. My girl has done a lot of remarkable things in her life but hearing that she took this kind of initiative ranks right up there with the best of them. I’m enormously pleased that she saw what needed to be done and she did it.

I have to say, being a dad in this family is pretty darn awesome.