Stepping into the traffic...

This is a bit random, but I hope it makes sense.

I live on a really busy street. It's one of the main arteries into Melbourne's CBD. Cars, trams, cyclists and of course endless pedestrians with their eyes on their phone 😬

So backing out of my driveway is not for the faint-hearted.

Thing is, I do it all the time. I'm fully okay with it.

But this morning, a man decided to help me out and stepped into the road to stop the traffic so I could reverse safely.

Just a simple gesture that he cares.

It meant that I had a MUCH quicker exit than usual.

And as I drove off waving my hand to make sure he knew I was grateful, I tried to identify the feeling our interaction generated.

It's not often I feel looked after or have someone "protect" me.
And it's not something I go looking for.

But wow, the rare times it happens...it's as if someone places a warm blanket over my nerves and tucks them in and kisses them goodnight on the forehead so they can finally fall asleep and get some rest.

They exhaaaaaaaale.

If you are familiar with my story, you know  that my childhood was shaped by fear. You wouldn't see it by looking at me. I was "the happy kid."
I looked robust. Carefree. Capable.

But I was deeply scared of so many things.

Mostly my dad. But also my siblings. The devil. Hell. Demons. Submarines. Communists. The dark.

And all this could have been alleviated by someone "stepping into the busy road and holding back the traffic."

But no one did.

And I often wonder if this is why I'm so passionate about speaking up for those who are being attacked or who get overlooked by society.

One simple act can mean so much for the person on the receiving end.

I'm fully aware that the man took a risk helping me out. There are people who wouldn't appreciate being "helped". And technically it wasn't "needed" as such. I would have been okay without his involvement. So it's not a formula that works every time. And it definitely needs discernment.

But for now I just want to focus on the feeling that was generated in my body this morning.

That feeling of being seen & cared for.

It was (and still is) beautiful.

And I hope we can find opportunities to create that as we go about our busy lives. I