One summer we took a trip to Maine to visit family. While there, we went to an island off the coast to spend a few days hiking. On one of our hikes, my husband commented on the fact that the trail we were on was no longer a trail but a long series of boulders we had to scramble over. Seconds after this observation, a tree root which had grown across the boulder he was crossing snapped under his foot, twisting his ankle and sending him sliding. As he landed we
heard a second snap, this time it was the sound of his ankle and leg breaking in three places.
We were on an island which had no hospital or medical facilities. We were several miles away from the dock and the boat that could carry us back to the mainland. My husband needed to get to that dock. There was no way that he could move on his own. He would need to be carried.
One of our group went to the nearest cottage and explained our dilemma. Before we knew it, a group of volunteers from the island had gathered around my husband. They had come with a stretcher and their willingness to carry him several miles to the boat. One of them, a nurse, traveled all the way to the mainland with us where an ambulance waited to take us to the hospital.
My husband had no choice. If he wanted to get the help he needed, he had to let himself be carried. With a great deal of grace, he accepted the gifts of time, energy and care given by these strangers who voluntarily offered to help in this time of need...READ MORE
