To The
RESCUE

Written By: Randy Smith

When I was very young, our family frequently went to a nearby reservoir to boat, water ski, and picnic on the beach. One summer day, we were at the beach with friends and family and had a waterskiing boat with us. There were only enough life jackets for those on the boat, so if we were staying on the beach, we didn’t need one. I had been taking swimming lessons for a few years so could do quite well in the water. One time, however, I was walking into the water from the beach and slipped off an underwater shelf that went quite deep. I began to panic and floundered about. I remember looking up and could see the sunlight from under the water, but it seemed no matter what I tried, I could not get myself up to where I could breathe. I hadn’t been splashing about for very long when suddenly, a hand came down and pulled me up out of the water. It was my mother. She held me tight until I could calm down. My mother had been watching me and rescued me when I was in trouble and couldn’t help myself.

I have often been awed at the selfless acts of those that have made rescuing others their life’s work. Whether it be fire, police, rescue, and medical workers, as well as teachers and volunteers for many various needs and causes, they all inspire me to be better and to focus more on the needs of others.

They act immediately without thought to crises such as fires, health emergencies, safety concerns, or hunger and comfort when needed. This is not just an occasional occurrence but a daily dedication to the service of others. When the 9-11 disaster occurred, many rescuers lost their lives but never hesitated. When the pandemic hit the United States, many health care workers never hesitated to respond to the needs of those that became ill with a little-known virus that could, and many times did, infect the workers, with some dying from the disease. My own son is one of those health care workers that has been willing, without thought, to care for patients that carry the disease. Teachers also took a risk and appeared for classes to provide for the educational needs of our children.

When things are going well, we don’t think about those that have dedicated their lives to be in careers and create opportunities to serve others. It is when we are in a crisis that we begin to realize how special these individuals are. As the pandemic winds down, I hope we will continue to respect and honor those that have dedicated their lives to be rescuers of us in our time of need.

As for me, I have a newfound respect and honor for those that have chosen to be our rescuers when we are in our own crisis.