A Life Lesson

I had a life lesson this past week which really stuck with me and reminded that we cannot take anything for granted.

Being a volunteer for Hospice, I am called upon from time to time to assist others, either by visiting with them, taking them places or simply running errands for them. I was called upon last week to assist a hospice patient who needed to go to the hairdresser one day and to the doctor the following day, as her cleaning lady, who usually performed such duties was away due to a death in the family. It should be noted that Ruth was a childless widow who had no family in the area. I got to know Ruth and she made the comment that she wished that I could be her regular volunteer. I had no objection to it and notified the Hospice Volunteer Coordinator to pair Ruth and me up. This was on Friday. On Sunday, Ruth called me to ask if I would move her garbage can to the curb, as it was too heavy for her to do alone. I went over to her house and assisted her. When she wanted to pay me, I refused saying it was against Hospice policy as well as my own. However, I indicated that a hug would be payment enough and so she paid me off in that fashion.

That evening, Ruth had a stroke and died just three days later. In thinking about her, it dawned on me that, as her cleaning lady was still out of town, the hug we shared on Sunday afternoon was probably the last meaningful interaction she had with anyone. I took away from this the lesson that we should not take others for granted and tomorrow is promised to no one. One never knows if, or when, they will see another again and that, even though a hug is not necessary, the fact that we leave someone with the sense that we love them is how we should leave them, lest our paths never cross again.