A Good Omen For Haya

It was a good omen the night we crossed paths for the first time. I was fumbling with the wrong key, when you took the key chain and held the right key before my eyes, and deftly unlocked the door, and then you swept past me, moving swiftly toward your immediate goal, leaving me alone to follow mine. And so it went... Acts of Kindness come in all sizes - and this one may have been smaller than those the world admires - still kindness itself always looms large. It is the oldest gesture in our vocabulary of gestures. And the sweetest. Did Eve extend her hand to help Adam to his feet when he awoke beneath her smiling face? Did Abraham steady Ishmael's steps as they trod the rugged path of Mount Horeb? Did Rachel's glance reassure Jacob of her love even as he married Leah to satisfy the father's bias? And what of Noah and his crowded cargo: How many frightened animals did he calm during their tumultuous voyage? And how we are humbled and amazed in equal measure over God's bringing the sparrow back to flight to reassure Abraham's heart... Oh, the world is vast, and even now six billion of us crowd its contours from end to end. Within me is an unexpected calm. I will not speak of the great deeds, they will take care of themselves, God willing. Let me rather celebrate the small gestures. Let me give thanks that you saw me locked out, and in a flash, let me in to the place we both belonged, and then you vanished into your act of kindness, needing no thanks for following God's example, and, God willing, I will learn from your example....