The Universe was working overtime today and I just have to share this: I put it out on the Motorcycle For Miracles network that if anyone has a friend, etc. near Columbia, Missouri I could use a warm couch for the night. Immediately my friend Tom Mulhall texts me and says basically: “Dude, I’ve got a kajillion travel points. Let me book you a room somewhere along your route.”
He finds me a suite at a nice hotel at an agreed upon town further along my route and I arrive, check in and drag my gear wearily up to the room (two very windy days of riding and I now feel like I’ve been wrestling a bear). I open the door, take three steps in and it becomes very apparent that there is already someone staying in the room (not there at that time, luckily).
I wander back downstairs and explain the situation to the completely awesome front desk staff (thanks Heath Bishop and Dana Yanow from the Staybridge Suites!). They were very apologetic…and then mortified when they found out they had no more rooms to offer. They quickly contacted their general manager Robyn Pierson and she booked me a very expensive suite for free up the road at their competition…and fully refunded Tom’s travel points…and they’re giving him bonus points for the problem…and the hotel here (Holiday Inn) is also going to let me put tonight’s travel points in Tom’s account. I’m always preaching that if you give, you get. Tonight Tom gave…and he got!
And just to bring you all up to speed on what kind of man Tom is, I’ll tell you a story: it’s 1998 and Tom and his then-girlfriend are renting an apartment in my parent’s basement next door to where Mary and I lived. We’ve spent the winter getting to know him and his two wonderful daughters, cross country skiing, etc.
Mary and I are pregnant with Alyssa and delirious with joy. We decide to completely renovate our riverfront home before baby Alyssa joins us. I’m working solo ripping and tearing out walls, carpet, ceilings, windows. Of course, my skill set didn’t involve the ability of actually replacing walls, carpet, windows, etc.
Enter one Tom Mulhall. He shows up one day, tool belt and a big smile, and walks in and doesn’t leave the project for weeks. He wouldn’t take a dime for his very skilled labour. We were still working on the house when we got the news about Alyssa’s condition. All work on the house ceased. Indeed, everything in our lives ceased. We spent the next few months dealing with Alyssa’s birth and devastating death and returned in the middle of winter to an unfinished home filled with sorrow. We had no plumbing, no flooring, few walls…Just our master bedroom and what would have been Alyssa’s room were complete.
And then one day Tom came walking through the shovelled pathway in the deep snow of our adjoining backyards, tool belt in hand. He said it was time we got things finished in there. And he spent a few more weeks, along with my big-hearted brother Dave, and together they brought life back to our little home.
That was an enormous step forward for Mary and myself in our grieving for Alyssa. If Tom hadn’t walked over that cold winter day I’m sure I’d still be living in that tiny house feeling sorry for myself. That’s what great friends do. And he continues to do amazing things. Thank you, Tom…
