Making up for yesterday

My doctor and her nurse are both people who could teach that other nurse and would do so gently; they’re not in today, so I’ll call them again tomorrow.  You all of course are right, I do need to speak up.

I woke up this morning rather in need of being cheered up, and it turned out the UPS man had already arrived bright and early: delivering chocolate. Lake Champlain chocolate, and I already knew how good it was because I’d been to their factory store near my daughter’s home in Vermont in November.  Wow. Thank you, Amy!  And such timing.  Much appreciated.

Sam and I went off on an errand and came home to a shawl from Nancy, hanging on my doorknob, for me to gift to one of the people who’d kept me here.

I have just the person in mind. And I have nothing of my own ready to offer her. This is perfect, as are the colors.

Yesterday, while we were at the clinic, I saw a familiar face, someone who was also on their way to an appointment: it was one of the gastroenterologists who’d treated me in the hospital.  We both did a double-take and then our faces lit up in delight just before I stepped onto an elevator.  When my appointment was over, there she was again at the pharmacy with her husband.

And she was clearly in great pain.  Having a hard time standing.  He was supporting her and helping her and most of the time she sat while he dealt with the pharmacist.  My heart went out to her; I reached into my purse, found the most perfect finger puppet–a bright, handknit, multicolored toucan bird–and Sam took it over to her for me.

Her face lit up, and she asked from across the room (there was a kid coughing near her, so I didn’t want to get closer) whether I’d made it? I told her I get them from a women’s cooperative in Peru.

Cool!  She loved it, and it was fun to see her face brighten.

Her husband waved goodbye when they left, while I was wishing there were more I could do.

And now, thanks to Nancy, there is.  Healing wishes from a person she knows and one she doesn’t, very representative of what I have received, now to be passed along to her.  Perfect.

And then! The mail came. With a box I was not expecting.  From Lene.  That red box at the base of the flowers has on top of it a bar of handmade soap with a musical score imprinted in it.  Sam laughed as I squinted hard at it and tapped it out on the piano; whoever chose the music chose well, and I’m struggling to remember the name of the tune or where I heard it or played it before.

Wow.  Thank you, everyone!  I’m pretty blown away.  And I can’t wait to pass that feeling along to that doctor!