Taking Time to Stop

 There isn't a lot of good news coming out of Maui this year as a record setting fire consumed much of the beautiful island devastating businesses, homes, and historic sites alike. However (and as usual) if you look closely you will find endless stories of people helping one another out especially in times of tragedy. On practically the 22nd anniversary of another tragedy (911) Steven Pickering and his wife got in the car to leave their neighborhood. The fires were getting too close and the window of safe escape was closing in on them. That is when Jessica saw it. "OMG, its right there in the bushes" she exclaims. Steven, not having noticed inquires back to her, "What"? to which she emphatically exclaims, "the fire, its in the bushes!"

The Smith's thanking the Pickering's

With video rolling to capture the emotional moment, Steven jumps out of the car and grabs a water-hose from the side of the home and begins dousing the flames despite the risk and impending danger. This was not their residence but rather a home they were driving past on their way out of the neighborhood. Jessica, understanding the urgency of resuming their escape and seeing the fire is finally out yells to her husband, "Steven, we're going to get stuck, COME ON!" in attempt to refocus his attention on the original plan. The urging works as he returns to the car and despite a few more challenges both are able to get out and into an area of safety. Sadly for them, their small business (a diving shop) was burnt to the ground and was a total loss. "Having to say that we have nothing and holding your hand out to ask for help is really humbling and hard," says Jessica to NBC's Sam Brock. 

Brock astutely points out that there is a "silver lining" and good news to this story however. It is speculated that Steven's selfless actions to stop and put out those flames actually saved that specific area of town, not just the one house where the fire was building up. And in a strange turn of events as their video of the incident started to go viral, the actual homeowners saw the footage. Drew Smith noticed right away that the homes looked familiar and exclaimed to his wife, "that's our neighborhood. And then we started looking and [realized] this is OUR house!" Forever grateful to Steven for his act of kindness the Smith's got together with the couple to personally thank them and if the news reports are accurate include them in their will.

Whether said in exaggeration or complete honesty the gesture reflects the level of gratitude that accurately matches the action that Pickering took on. A true hero in a moment of crisis, saving one home in the moment but an entire neighborhood in the grand scheme of things. A truly uplifting snapshot in the midst of one of life's greatest challenges.

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