When we moved to the sticks of western Massachusetts, our friend Winston gave us this piece of advice: Stop to help if you see someone stuck on the side of the road. Chances are it will happen to you someday.

Win lived in that town most of his life. He understood how things worked in the country. We wanted to fit in so we heeded his advice.

I recall coming back from the city with a carload of kids at night. It was brutally cold and unfortunately I chose a cheap place to buy gas. I was on Radiker Road when the car came to a rolling stop. I didn’t have to wait long at all for someone to help. John, then a relative newcomer to town, concluded, as I did, my car’s gas line froze. I would need dry gas, which neither of us had. So we loaded the kids and the groceries into his van so he could take us home. I am pleased to say the ride turned into family friendship. Hank later worked many times with John. He was someone you could count on.

There have been other incidents. Someone towed our VW van from a muddy road. One Christmas Eve, a guy on the highway crew helped us get going on an icy road.

We returned the favor when given the chance, giving a lift to a stranded driver or a jump for a dead battery.

So, I was pleased listening to our son Nate talk about the snow storm that hit Massachusetts hard last week. Two feet. Nate plows a state highway during the winter. I won’t tell you how many hours he plowed during that storm but he was on the road from beginning to end.

Nate said when he stopped at a convenience store, a Cumby’s, the woman behind the counter gave him a free cup of coffee. “It was only Cumby’s coffee,” he said, but grateful for the gesture, he asked the woman where she lived. It was a neighboring town and she would have to drive down the state highway’s fiercely steep hill. He asked when she was getting off work.  She said 11:30 p.m.

So at 11:30 Nate pulled his truck into the Cumby’s parking lot. The woman followed him in her car as he plowed his route so she could get home safely.

I smiled as Nate told the story. Such a good deed. Win would have felt the same way.