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Marist Fathers New Zealand: Life and spirit

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  • reflection

Mother and Child

Just once in a while one’s faith in human nature is beautifully restored. 

motherandchildWhile driving to work the other morning I was somewhat annoyed to have to stop at the traffic lights on Kent Terrace—the four lane road heading south to the Basin Reserve.

A mother with her less than 2 year old toddler in hand and a babe in a bassinet-cum-car-seat-carrier in the other had pressed the crossing light.  As she did so the two letters she was going to post headed off in opposite directions.  A young man chased one as she hunted down the other blowing in every direction at the mercy of the Wellington Southerly.

At that point the “Cross Now” green¬man-light appeared and the little boy (well schooled) begins to cross the road.  Mum realises he is crossing the road unaided.

Having regard for the likelihood of losing both children she pops the little one down on this side of the road and dashes off to catch young Mr-less-than-2 who, realising his mother is now not with him, is in something of a quandary half-way across the road.

You guessed it, the lights changed at that very moment.

Unbelievably all four lanes of traffic just sat there unmoving as mum rescues son and continues  the shorter distance to the other side.

Now an even worse crisis—mum and one son on one side of Kent Tce and babe alone and asleep on the other side. And yet the cars wait at the green light until another woman, seeing the mother in distress, picks up the babe and heads across the four lanes to hand mum the little one.

Only then did the cars move as all were safe and sound.

May being a month we focus on motherhood and Mary—the whole event really appealed to me and I could not help but see a little motherly intervention in the whole scenario.

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May 25, 2009 Filed Under: New Zealand

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