Going The Extra Step

Each of us goes about our day performing our daily duties, whether they be at home, work or play. It is the ability to do more then expected which can turn the ordinary into something much grander.

Take the story of a young post World War II pilot going about his duties in Europe. It was a time when Germany was split into east and west. Berlin was even split in half although it was surrounded by much of communist controlled East Germany. It was a time of mutual distrust politically and tensions could run very high.

This pilot, Col. Gail Halvorsen performed a daily job of delivering goods to West Berlin over the blockade imposed by East German officials. Yet the one thing he saw were the children. Thus was the start that would eventually become 'Operation Little Vittles.' As they flew their planes to deliver needed goods, the crews would drop with hand made parachutes, candy and sweets for the children.

Col. Halvorsen would 'wiggle the wings' of his plane and earned the nickname, "Uncle Wiggly Wings". What began as a small gesture of kindness, going beyond his normal duties, he saw a need and addressed it. One person with a single idea blossomed into what turned out to be 227,000 'candy bombings' over West Berlin.

Years later, Col. Halvorsen was met by a 60-year old man that so many years ago on a rainy day grabbed a tiny parachute which had fallen from the sky outside his school. Attached to it was a Hershey chocolate bar, never eating it and treasuring it for many years. He told Col. Halvorsen "it wasn't the candy that was important. It was that somebody cared."

Take a step further during your ordinary day and do something above and beyond the normal. You may see it blossom into something so much bigger. It will create something bigger in your life and in the lives of others.