Today I’m grateful for a collective moment of compassion.

11.14.2023

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This morning I was stopped at a stoplight at a major intersection. Traffic was especially heavy since it was nearing morning drop-off time at the nearby high school. As I waited for my light to turn green, I heard a siren behind me. There were probably 50 cars in my immediate vicinity. Some were already stopped, but the others quickly slowed down, pulled over, and let the ambulance through. The ambulance driver had to maneuver across a median and drive on the opposite side of the road in order to get through the intersection, but everyone cleared the way for him to safely and quickly do so.

I know this is a fairly mundane, regular situation. I also know that most people were merely stopping out of a legal obligation to do so. But the distinct pause in the busy morning traffic really struck me. It was almost as if all those people were stopping to show respect and kindness to a fellow human in need -- kind of like an act of solidarity or a collective moment of compassion. I imagined all of the people whose commute was briefly interrupted using those 30 seconds to offer up a quick prayer for the person in that ambulance. I know I'm an idealist ... but I gotta say, it's pretty cool to think of all the love that could exist at an intersection if everyone focused on another person's needs.

I know that this moment probably played out differently in the minds of each of the 50 or so people involved, but for me it gave me a little spark of gratitude and hope. The world can sure feel a bit heavy sometimes, but this moment renewed my belief that people are inherently good and when we collectively put the needs of others before ourselves, it makes way for greatness.