A couple of times each week I walk the nearly two mile circumference trail around Cedar Rapids’ Cedar Lake. It’s a great way to get exercise and watch a diversity of wildlife in the downtown area.
On Sunday, December 13, 2015 a near magical encounter occurred. Heavy rain was predicted for the afternoon so I planned my walk for late morning. Light drizzle was falling as I approached a parking lot surprisingly full on such a gloomy day. A woman was putting snacks and beverages on a picnic table. When I asked her if she was planning a winter picnic she replied, “Nope, you’ll see a bunch of runners on the trail. We’re raising money for a friend who has leukemia. He has limited health insurance and is having trouble paying medical bills. He’s not able to work and has two young children.”
Although she didn’t ask for a contribution, I handed her ten bucks and began a counter clockwise walk around the lake, just as a knot of runners was just finishing their first clockwise circuit and were enjoying snacks. They again set off running and soon I began meeting them on the trail.
The word was out. All had heard that a stranger in a blue raincoat had given $10. Every runner I passed smiled and said, “Thanks.” One woman stopped me and said, “Thanks for helping my brother.” Then, an older man stopped and said, “I want to shake your hand. You helped my son!”
Later in the day I thought how fortunate I was to have been able to give a tiny gift to help a man I didn’t know and be thanked by so many dedicated people. What a wonderful Christmas gift they were giving a dear friend of theirs and me, a stranger. Rich
