Aisle say so
Sunday May 17th 2009, 1:34 pm
Filed under: Crohn's flare,Life

In the “everything happens for a reason” department…

I wanted to get that birdfeeder set up that I got for Mother’s Day; we needed a large screw to put into the end of the porch overhang so that I could have it right outside my window here as I sit at the computer. Richard promises not to bump his head on it. And we needed a small metal trashcan to keep the seed in outside.

Every time we made plans to go to the hardware store this past week, which is not even a mile from our house, somehow it just didn’t happen. Till last night.

It was near to closing time and the store was pretty quiet.  We were going up and down the far aisles after we found the small trashcan: chewproof metal with a small hole already in the center of the lid so the seed can air out.  Item one done.

As we looked, there was a man with his own cart looking for something or other; we did the usual not-really-paying-attention-to-each-other as we passed.

I stopped.  Richard continued forward with our cart, but I backed up. I went over to the guy, and told him, “I like your T-shirt.” That stopped him as he did the sudden surprised reaction of thinking wait, which one am I wearing?  Oh, right.  Stanford Blood Center written across the front.

I told him, “Seven people donated blood in January and saved my life.”

He looked in my eyes in wonder and gratitude, then got a faraway look and his eyes got misty.  I added, “Thank you,” and turned at the end of the aisle and away.


20 Comments so far
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Lovely :-}

A few people made my day yesterday when they let me play with their dogs at the pet food store.
I LOVE puppy breath.

Comment by Diana Troldahl 05.17.09 @ 1:36 pm

I got misty eyed reading your post. I’m so glad you stopped and told him. I bet he really appreciated your gratefulness. It’s almost like reaping the seeds you sow.

I was at a festival about 15 years ago and was wearing a “Tour For A Cure” MS T-Shirt that my daughter designed for the fund-raiser that year. A man, really apparent that he was struggling with MS, came to speak to me to thank me. I still get choked up when I think of it.

Comment by Joansie 05.17.09 @ 2:08 pm

What a great coincidence! And you are really a mensch for thanking him. Good on you! (still in Winnipeg here, househunting…but thinking of you.)

Comment by Joanne 05.17.09 @ 4:54 pm

What a beautiful experience for you both:)

Comment by TripletMom 05.17.09 @ 5:36 pm

These experiences are always heartwarming. Good for you for taking the time to make contact.

When I talked with Cliff this evening, I mentioned what you had said. He said to say “Thank you!”

Humor:
The Reverend Francis Norton woke up Sunday morning and realizing it was an exceptionally beautiful sunny early spring day, decided he just had to play golf. So he told the Associate Pastor that he was feeling sick and convinced him to say Mass for him that day. As soon as the Associate Pastor left the room, Father Norton headed out of town to a gold course about forty miles away. This way he knew he wouldn’t accidentally meet anyone he knew from his parish.
Setting up on the first tee, he was alone. After all it was Sunday morning and everyone else was in church! At about this time Saint Peter leaned over to the Lord while looking down from the heavens and exclaimed, “You’re not going to let him get away with this, are you?” The Lord sighed and said, “No, I guess not.” Just then Father Norton hit the ball and it shot straight toward the pin, dropping just short of it, rolled up and fell into the hole. IT WAS A 420 YARD HOLE IN ONE! Saint Peter was astonished. He looked at the Lord and asked, “Why did you let him do that?” The Lord smiled and replied, “Who’s he going to tell?”

Comment by Don Meyer 05.17.09 @ 7:19 pm

this is wonderful, you got to say “Thank you”, and he got to hear it not from some bureaucrat, but from a person who needed his help most.

Comment by Henya 05.18.09 @ 12:23 am

Where’s my tissues… 🙂

Comment by Toni Smoky-Mountains 05.18.09 @ 3:40 am

Thanks for making the contact with him. I wish I could thank my six donors.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 05.18.09 @ 5:23 am

How nice of you to say thank you. Whenever I see someone in uniform, I do the same.

Comment by Jody M 05.18.09 @ 6:19 am

You are so good about reminding us to celebrate the unsung heroes…

Comment by Channon 05.18.09 @ 6:36 am

You and that customer are the best walking advertisements. Do recipients wear tee-shirts, too?

Comment by LynnM 05.18.09 @ 6:55 am

Awesome, wonderful. I think donors don’t ever get thanked. I gave blood until they changed the rules and won’t let me do it anymore (having lived too much time in England), and I appreciate everybody who does donate. They really are heroes.

Comment by Margo Lynn 05.18.09 @ 6:56 am

Thank you for talking with the man! A friend of my dd’s donates packed red cells, a rather unpleasant process, but he knows from experience with his dad that this can give the recipient the possibility of Good Time.

On a more practical matter, you might want to consider that the hole in the top of the bird seed container may let unwanted insects in. Bird stores in New England have a constant battle with Indian Meal Moths, and if they get into your house they’re very hard to get rid of!

Comment by Carol Telsey 05.18.09 @ 7:26 am

I have goosebumps! It only took a moment to tell this man thank you…but, that simple act will last him the rest of his life… Thank you for sharing…you brightened my day too.
Abby

Comment by Abby 05.18.09 @ 7:41 am

Ack! This made me cry! You are so sweet and wonderful to share that with him.

Comment by Momo Fali 05.18.09 @ 9:24 am

How sweet to let him know, Alison. I’m scheduled to donate on the 30th at the Compassionate Friends blood drive, and I will do so with an even more willing heart, now. By the way, I enjoy Don’s humor in his comments. Thank you, Don!

Comment by Joyce in NH 05.18.09 @ 10:06 am

You put a beautiful face to a most kind deed. He’ll never forget you, your gratitude, and the meaning of donating blood.

Comment by Madeline 05.18.09 @ 10:33 am

Very cool. Perfect timing 🙂

Comment by Jocelyn 05.18.09 @ 11:15 am

How eerie! They put posters up in my school today announcing a blood drive for Thursday. I made a mental note to participate. I usually do it because it’s so convenient. I’m proud to say that I’m part of the gallon club. Now where are my raisins and red meat? (for my hemoglobin!) Honestly when I give blood, I never think of the recipients. I imagine the labs (it’s the bio major in me) Now I can put a face on it. I’ll use yours.

Comment by Robin 05.18.09 @ 7:30 pm

On the one year anniversary of my dad’s death, I decided to donate blood in his memory. To be honest, it’s one of those things I was always going to do “someday.” Well, “someday” arrived February 15, 2008. Later that spring, as my sister and I were sorting through my dad’s stuff, we found several of those old metal blood drop lapel pins as well as 2 gallon donor pins. We had not even known that Dad was a blood donor. He obviously had been one for years. I donated because, in his later years, Dad had to have periodic blood transfusions to keep him going. I thought I was paying back. But, as usual, Dad had already paid it forward.

Comment by Shirley 05.19.09 @ 4:43 pm



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