I want to talk about angels. Some
believe once we pass from this earth we become an angel. Others believe loved ones who've passed away
become their guardian angel, always looking over them. Most believe in the standard idea that the
roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out
God's tasks.
This is my story of how I had the unique chance meeting of someone I
consider one of my angels.
After I came home from my rehab stay my in laws came to visit us towards
the end of May. One Sunday morning my
father in law said he would take me and my oldest son, Carson, to the park. I had not been outside for a few days, and
was looking forward to being out in the sunshine.
I put on my required safety helmet, picked up my cane and the three of us
headed to the park, ready to enjoy the beautiful day outside. My two year old ran about joyfully as his
grandfather chased after him, to keep an eye on him. I did my best to keep up, but it was still a
struggle to walk.
A little boy was watching me, and finally
approached me and asked if I had hurt my leg.
Not knowing how to explain the affects of a stroke to young child, I
simply said "yes, I hurt my leg and was learning to walk again." He seemed to accept this answer as he nodded
his head in understanding.
During the conversation my son and father in law
had gotten pretty far from me. I was
already tired and running out of steam.
I spotted a nearby bench where a couple was sitting, and asked if they
minded if I join them. They happily made
room for me on the bench. The man
sitting there said that I looked familiar to him, and asked me if I had
recently been in an accident.
He mentioned I looked like someone who he had
transported several weeks before. My
immediate thought was to connect transport with an ambulance. I asked him if he was an EMT and he said yes,
he drove an ambulance. That’s when it
clicked for both of us. He was the
driver of the ambulance that took me to St. Dominics Hospital the day of my
stroke.
We spent several minutes talking and I told him
about my recovery, and how thankful I was to be alive, and be at the park with
my son. Soon it was time to go home, and
I thanked him for his part in saving my life.
The opportunity to actually meet someone who
participated in my care really got me to thinking about how we communicate with
everyday people throughout our lives. Be
it the lady working the check out at the grocery store, the neighbor across the
street, the bank teller etc. We
sometimes forget the people around us are just like us. They each have a story, struggles, hardships,
and triumphs.
It's easy to get caught up in the doings of our
own little worlds, but I think it's good to stop and reflect how we interact
with others. That day sitting on the
park bench, I could have allowed my struggles, my tiredness, and my
frustrations of dealing with the effects of my stroke come to the forefront,
and been rude to that man who began asking me questions. We are all guilty of taking out these
feelings from time to time on perfect strangers, and we have all been the
recipient of someone doing the same thing to us.
That "chance" meeting with my ambulance
driver really made think about how small the world really is, and how a simple
act of kindness, be it a smile, or helping someone with a simple task can
completely change their day, and even if that comes from a stranger it can make
people feel cared for, and brighten their day.
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