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In the early 1990s our family lived in the Northern California town of Antioch . During that time, my daily commute included a winding boulevard called Country Hills Lane . Country Hills was four lanes divided by a landscaped median and was the one part of my drive to work that was unobstructed by traffic. The road also had a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour! Now I consider myself a law abiding citizen, but 30 miles per hour? I broke that law routinely, as did nearly everyone. It was easy to rationalize my higher speeds. The road was clearly built for traffic traveling twice the speed limit. Besides, heavy traffic would force me to drive well below the speed limit for most of my commute. Fortunately I never had to explain my speeding to a police officer, even though I had the arguments well rehearsed. But you could say that the law had little effect on my behavior when it came to obeying the speed limit on Country Hills Lane .
In 1992 we celebrated the birth of our daughter. I know that everyone thinks their babies are born cute, smart and perfect. But while I may not be completely objective on this matter, I am certain that my daughter really was perfect. I loved her, even before she was born. Witnessing her birth was exhilarating. Within hours of her birth, we were taking pictures of her with her big brother. Friends came by to visit. Her grandmother was there to help out and spend time with her second grandchild. It was a wonderful experience.
After the normal stay in the hospital, the day came for us to take our new daughter home. I arrived early and went straight to the hospital room where I found my wife dressed and ready to go. The nurse brought our little girl to us. We signed the release papers and wheeled mother and daughter to the lobby. I retrieved the car; we loaded the newest member of the family into a safety seat, and headed for home.
The hospital was just a few miles from our house. The route required us to drive a few blocks on Lone Tree Drive before turning onto Country Hills Lane . My wife was in the back seat with the baby. I was driving and checking on them every few seconds. I glanced at the speedometer…30 miles per hour. I thought maybe I should slow down.
Weeks later, I was driving alone and mentally replaying the events of that day. It had not occurred to me that on the trip home from the hospital, I had driven all the way down Country Hills Lane within the posted speed limit; a feat I had previously deemed impossible. Why had I done that? Had I suddenly decided to start obeying traffic laws? Was it for fear of a speeding ticket? No, the reason for my sudden change in driving was simply love. I loved my daughter and wanted to do everything in my power to insure her safety.
So the first lesson I learned from my three day old daughter was this: Love can do what the law is incapable of doing. Law is cold and empty. We may obey the law out of a sense of duty or for fear of punishment. But love creates a desire to do the right things for the right reasons and that is far more powerful.
Steve Radford was born in Virginia and currently resides in North Texas. He writes mostly about personal experiences that have shaped his view of the world.
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» left by Barbara Coppola from Florida (1 year 188 days ago.)
Wow Steve that is a powerful article. I thank God everyday for this "love" thing. God's blessings to you and your beautiful family. And I'm glad you enjoyed my poetry. Barb Respond to this comment
» left by Steve Radford(806) Steve Radford (1 year 187 days ago.)
Thanks Barbara. I thoroughly enjoyed the poetry you posted on Searchwarp and visited your website for more. Steve Respond to this comment
» left by Judi Lake(2,631) Judi Lake (1 year 187 days ago.)
'...love creates a desire to do the right things for the right reasons and that is far more powerful.' I love it and it's really true. Thanks, Steve, for a beautiful story, it really touched me and is so true! All the best to you! Respond to this comment
» left by Avis Ward(13,027) Avis Ward (1 year 186 days ago.)
Ahhh Steve, profound wisdom you shared in that last paragraph. Wow! I'm sure you say the same thing now that your little girl is 15 this year? Wow? Thank you for sharing the lesson a 3-day old baby daughter taught you. She did a fine job. And, so did you with this article. Magnificent! Respond to this comment
» left by Steve Radford(806) Steve Radford (1 year 186 days ago.)
Thank you so much Avis! My "little girl" now teaches me how to spruce up my Power Point presentations and upload pictures from my cell phone. I just blinked my eyes and she was 14. Respond to this comment
» left by Kay Elizabeth(1,673) Kay Elizabeth (1 year 186 days ago.)
"Love can do what the law is incapable of doing. Law is cold and empty. We may obey the law out of a sense of duty or for fear of punishment. But love creates a desire to do the right things for the right reasons and that is far more powerful. " A wonderful close on a great story there, Steve! Hits you right in the heart. Excellent, thanks for sharing that. :) Respond to this comment
» left by David Tanguay (1 year 186 days ago.)
Very well said Steve, "God's law is not on paper it is within us" Respond to this comment
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