Betty

 by Thomas Martin

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.  Matthew 25:40

There wasn’t much to Betty.  She stood only about 5’5” and probably weighed less than 130 pounds.  Her skin was tanned and wrinkled from far too many hours of sun exposure.  Yet, when I think back to her, I cannot help but be reminded of the photos of US Marines storming the beach of Iwo Jima.  Grit, determination, and fearlessness are just three words to describe this mighty mite.  

Betty was in charge of the public pool near my work in 1985.  From noon to 1pm there was adult lap swimming and many of my co-workers and I would spend our lunch hour swimming laps and getting a little sun.  Betty ran this pool with an iron fist.  You followed her rules or you did not come back.  

One day we arrived a bit early and found the group ahead of us was specially challenged young adults.  They were all gleefully splashing in the pool having the best of times.  Alone, sitting by the side of the pool was a teenage boy named Jake.  Jake apparently had cerebral palsy and his torso was strapped tightly into his wheelchair.  Jake’s arms were also strapped down to the chair.  His inability to fully control the movements of his body could inadvertently cause him to fall out of the chair or hit himself with his own arms and hands. 

I could not help but wonder what ran through Jake’s mind as he watched the other children playing in the pool.  I also wondered why he had been left alone.  

Suddenly, I watched as Betty sprung into action.  She purposefully walked over to Jake and unstrapped him from his chair.  Without any hesitation, she bent over, wrapped her arms around him and lifted him away from the chair that confined him.

Betty turned around and walked into the pool with Jake in her arms.  Standing in the shallow end and keeping her hands and arms underneath Jake’s back, she allowed Jake to float in the water.  

All heads turned when we heard a noise like no other in our lives.  From deep within Jake came a sound that was not a scream or a cry.  It was the sound of Joy.  Pure, glorious, uninhibited Joy! A smile burst from his face as he was free from all of the constraints in his life.  His arms usually flailing uncontrollably almost had a purpose in the water.  The cool feel of the water on his skin must have also sent currents of electricity through his small, weak frame.  For a short while, Jake was transformed, he was whole.  He was like any other child in a pool, free from the bonds life had unfairly placed upon him.  

I think that Jake and every person at the pool changed just a little that day.

God Bless you Betty, wherever you are.    

 Copyright © 2020, Thomas Martin, All Rights Reserved