This year started much differently than 2021.  I was on chaplaincy call for the sheriff’s office last year. My duty day began early on January 1, 2021.  I was dispatched an infant death call. I will not offer any details to ensure the privacy of a good family.  I can confirm that the death was not the result of a criminal act or negligence.

“Kid Calls” as we so describe them are hard. I have been on plenty of them over the years. As I age, I think I am becoming more sensitive than ever. I have sat quietly with parents, as they held their deceased baby more than once.

This event occurred early in the morning, so the EMS crew on duty finished their shift right after responding to a call of a baby not breathing. They had already cleared from the home by the time I arrived.  It was just the investigators and me.  So, I thought…

Not along after my arrival the paramedic who should have been heading home after a long shift showed back up at this house in her private vehicle.  She had noticed that there were older siblings present in the home when they responded to the original call on the ambulance.

 She of course knew they would be scared and uncertain. As I talked to the parents, I watched this medic serve the older children donuts and milk she had brought for them. She sat at the kitchen table and engaged them in lively conversation. The children chattered away while tragic events unfolded a few feet away.  I was paying attention that morning.

Thankfully, this year did not begin in the same manner on January 1, 2022.  But my dear paramedic friend taught me a valuable lesson that morning in 2021 that I will always carry with me. The lesson is: Pay attention. Be alert. Pay attention to people.  Don’t overlook the obvious needs. And most importantly, act on your good intentions. Her kindness that morning will impact those children permanently. Will you pay attention to your surroundings in 2022?