A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the time I first heard the phrase “Love is contagious,” and the couple whose affection generated the comment. Today I’m writing about another example, Susan, who together with her family show how true the statement is. Just the mention of her name in a conversation would bring a smile to each face, and being around her or her family was a warming experience.

Let me give a few Susan anecdotes, all of which she would joyously acknowledge. (1) She and her husband Mel still kept the family’s pony, Judy, in a small stable in the back yard, even though their children were all grown. In earlier years Judy had given rides to all the children in the neighborhood. Somehow, while they were gone one day, Judy had gotten out, climbed the steps to the deck, and opened the door to the house. Susan had a bowl of apples on the dining room table, and Judy ate them all. Unfortunately, Judy also left some road apples on the carpet. It could only happen to Susan. (2) Susan had six children; all were fine people who were friendly and accepting of others. They all were talented (two became physicians), but the brightest was the youngest Nate, who now constructs algorithms for the mathematical software company MatLab. When he was a senior in high school, Nate was named a Presidential scholar. There are two from each state, and they are honored at a reception at the White House. Susan and Mel had a wonderful time at the reception, and Susan took as many pictures as she could. There was only one difficulty, when they went back to the motel room, she discovered that there was no film in her camera. (3) When Susan was a young woman, her brother served in the Army, and Susan decided to send him some cookies. She baked several of his favorites and very carefully packed them. She enclosed a note saying that she hoped that they arrived in good shape. She then took a hammer and went, Bam! Bam! Bam!

Susan’s family was a close-knit loving family, but if you were around them it seemed as though their family grew bigger to include you. You couldn’t help but feel the love and then share it, even if you didn’t explicitly realize it. Their love was contagious.

Why did they so exemplify love? Mel did have some knowledge about good family life, since he was a professor of psychiatry at the medical school. This may have helped, a little bit, but I don’t think that this is a case of the cobbler’s family having the best shoes. I think a big part of the explanation comes from their faith. They were life-long Baptists, and they were the kind of Christians that give evangelicals a good name. In contrast to some evangelical stereotypes they were open, accepting, and non-judgmental in relating to others different than themselves. Through their faith they had felt the unconditional love of God, and because of its contagious nature, they couldn’t help passing it on. The same should be true of us, for God also loves YOU and me unconditionally.

Jim