In the waiting room at the Oncologist yesterday, Dad struck up a conversation with a random fellow patient. This is not unusual; my Father has never met a stranger.
As it turned out, she also had colo-rectal cancer, however hers had also spread to her lungs. She seems to have beat it, and was there for a routine recheck. Having already journeyed thru hell and back, she was in an excellent position to give him a better idea of what to expect, and help him see that the light at the end of the tunnel is not necessarily an oncoming train. He appreciated that, and apparently she enjoyed his jokes.
They parted ways when her name was called, with a smile and a handshake, strangers on different ends of the same road.
After his appointment, as he walked back thru the waiting room, he heard a nurse call out “There he is!”
The Nurse handed him an envelope. Inside was a brief note from the kind stranger in the waiting room. “Stay strong, keep fighting. I hope this helps a little. I’ll be praying for you.”
No name, but wrapped up in the note was $100.
He went back in and asked, but of course the staff can’t tell him anything- patient confidentiality. They did promise to pass on his thanks the next time she’s in.
The little unexpected windfall will help keep gas in his car for a few weeks, but the psychological effects of this random act of kindness are immeasurable. As he said, “The best part is that when friends and family call to check on me, I have a good story to tell them, instead of just depressing news.”
