Everybody has a story: Four-year-olds, football heroes have tender hearts in common

My son, Stephen, is a grandfather and very close to his 4-year-old grandchild, Lincoln, because he and his wife have watched the child from the time he was born.

Recently Stephen suffered an industrial accident at work and lost half his thumb. The entire family was shocked. But with good medical care, he has healed. We realize how fortunate we are to have him recovered and safe with us.

I asked him how his grandson responded to the injury, and Stephen told me, “At first he backed away. Then he came over and kissed it.”

“Awwww” is the response of everyone who hears this story, and I love it so I thought I would pass it along. I decided then that I would rather have a tender-hearted great-grandson than he be captain of a football team.

But then came the terrible yet wonderful story of the 24-year-old football player (Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills) who collapsed on the field and has recovered, and the public saw the reactions of his friends and teammates, gathering around in a circle to express their tenderest feelings.

I was corrected to know that these feelings are in all of us and we just have to be taught to show them.

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