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Ken Chapman & Assoc. |
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Can Anyone Count on You? The ringing phone pierced the night and awoke my husband and me. A phone call in the middle of the night is seldom a good thing and this one was no exception. A friend was in need. Her husband had just suffered a massive heart attack and she was at the emergency room. Could we come?. We hastily dressed and drove to the hospital. You might ask why a family member wasn’t called. There was no family to call. Sally and her husband relocated to our town a couple of years ago. All of their family lives in other states. By the time we reached the hospital, her husband had passed away. In a moment of tremendous personal tragedy, there is little anyone can do. We stood by as she made the necessary arrangements then followed her home where another friend waited to stay the remainder of the night. We returned home where sleep evaded us. In the early light of morning, my husband said he wasn’t sure why he received the call to come. He and Sally have a professional friendship. He served on the Board of the non-profit organization she directs and he was instrumental in recruiting her to the job she holds. They’ve worked on a number of civic projects together and admire and respect one another. "You were called", I told him, "because she knew you would come." How many people would answer your call in the middle of the night? Is there anyone outside your immediate family? Have you built the kind of personal and professional relationships where someone would not only answer the call, but make every effort to be at your side as soon as possible?. If you are lucky, you have at least one solid relationship build on mutual trust and respect. I recently saw an interview with former NBA star Larry Bird talking about his good friend Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "Magic is the only guy I know who if I called him in the middle of the night, he would be there", said Bird. When later told of Bird’s comment, Johnson was clearly touched. Having someone you can call upon is an important measure of your personal relationships, but there is a larger question to ask yourself. In a moment of personal crisis, is there someone who would call you? If you receive the call, it’s because the caller believes you are trustworthy, dependable, kind and supportive. They know if they call, you not only wouldn’t refuse, but you would make whatever personal sacrifice to render service as needed. Being a person others count on is the highest form of honor. Are you ready to answer the call? <END> |
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