All I Ever Needed to Know about Mom Revealed in a Moment

     It happened in a moment, but the memory has stayed with me for a lifetime.     
     I was about twelve, waiting with my mother in a packed auditorium lobby for the doors to open for a concert. In the crowd, a woman on crutches lost her balance and clattered down the stairs. Everyone froze in silence, embarrassed as she struggled to reach her crutches and hoist herself up.     
     And no one did anything.     
     Then Mom broke from the throng and stepped forward. “Are you okay?”...