Sometimes you think you know all the reasons you love someone—until they give you another one that makes your heart swell with pride.
We were at the rodeo, sitting in our seats and waiting for the show to start. The air was buzzing with the sound of chatter, laughter, and the smell of popcorn drifting through the stands. I was scanning the crowd when my eyes caught on a small group making their way down the stairs: an elderly woman, her grown daughter, and two young girls who looked like her granddaughters.
They were moving slowly, each step looking like a battle for the older woman. She gripped the rail tightly, her legs trembling, her balance uncertain. I could see the worry etched on her daughter’s face as she tried to steady her.
I leaned toward my husband, Thomas, and said quietly, “They may need help.”
Without hesitation—before I could say another word—Thomas stood up. He stepped into the aisle, made his way over, and began gently assisting them. With his steady arm and calm reassurance, they reached their seats safely.
That might have been the end of it. But the real moment came later.
When the rodeo ended, the crowd began filing out. The elderly woman stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at what must have seemed like a mountain. Her hands tightened on the railing, but her legs refused to cooperate. She simply didn’t have the strength to climb back up.
I saw the uncertainty in her eyes. And then I saw Thomas.
Without a second thought, he bent down, slipped one arm behind her back, and the other under her knees, lifting her as though she were family. She clung to him, not out of fear, but with the kind of trust that says I know I’m safe now.
Step by step, he carried her up the stairs through the crowd. People turned to watch—some surprised, others smiling. I stood there, my heart full, knowing this was the man I married: someone who sees a need and fills it without question, without expecting anything in return.
When they reached the top, the woman’s daughter thanked him over and over, tears in her eyes. The granddaughters looked at him like he was a real-life cowboy hero.
I just looked at him and thought, That’s my husband.
In a world where it’s so easy to look the other way, Thomas chose to step in. And in doing so, he reminded me—and everyone who saw—that kindness is still out there. Sometimes it walks right beside you, holding your hand.
