A close shave

The kids and I ran into the supermarket this morning to get some stuff I'd forgotten to buy for today. Coming out of the store, the kids were clamoring for the purchases and I, stupidly, was paying more attention to the kids than to the cars around me. Suddenly, I heard someone shout, "Look out!" Then, a young man rushed past me and interposed his body between a car reversing out of a parking place and our little group. Had he not intervened I have no doubt that the kids and I would have been hit -- and with little kids, even a "light tap" from a car can have devastating consequences. I had sufficient wit about me to thank him profusely, as did the kids, before he rushed off to his own car, but thank yous seem a little inadequate given the circumstances. So, a big cyperspace thank you, young man. You did a good thing! By the way, being the incredibly didactic parent that I am, I didn't hestitate to tell the kids three lessons we learned from this morning's adventures: 1. When I'm in the parking lot, I must pay attention to the cars around me, and table the kids' needs until we're in a safer place (a lesson I knew but ignored). 2. When the kids are in the parking lot, they must hold off on engaging me until we're in a safe place. 3. It's always important to do the right thing -- and that's what our young man did. He could have just watched, but he acted, and that's as important a lesson as any my kids can learn.