The greatest events that take place in our lives.     .     .

sometimes take place without ever being on the calendar.

I was scheduled to speak at an event a week ago to a group of Nurses, Social Workers, Case Managers, and Administrators at an area hospital and when I arrived I showed up at the wrong place.

I was standing just outside of the reception area, calling my contact person and

I  T     H  A  P  P  E  N  E  D .      .      .

The UN-Calendared  E V E N T:

An elderly lady and her granddaughter walked out of the swooshing hospital doors and one cue when they hit the cold air of the late morning she burst into a loud, uncontrollable wail of deep woe:

“I can’t, can’t, can’t believe what I just heard.  The Dr, the Dr, he just told me that I have, that I have can-can-can-cancer!  Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh God. . . .”

The phone was still ringing and I had my back partially to them.

Before I could respond

Before I could hang up the ringing phone from the other end

Before I could offer any consolation or comfort

B          E          F          O          R          E

.          .          .the granddaughter did the most

pure

simplest

kind

loving

compassionate

caring

a     m     a     z     i     n     g

a c t:

She held her grandmother,

hugged her.  .  .

let her cry. . .

and then said,

“Grandma, I know he just said the worst thing we should ever have to hear but he doesn’t know us, he doesn’t know how well we all fight together with each other, he doesn’t know how strong our family is and how we don’t ever do anything alone. . .I’m here, I’m here, I’m here,”

.     .     .she whispered to her grandmother over and over again as she held, gently rocked her like I could only imagine she was once rocked by her when she fell or was afraid or had her feelings hurt or.      .      .

O            B            L            I            V            O            U            S

that I was standing just a few feet away

that a crash cart was just on the other side of the swooshing doors

that several nurses and one doctor were talking at the receptionists desk

t     h     a     t

anything else or anyone were available or necessary.

In a simple, significantly powerfully way

I witnessed

what I know

what I know I know

what I’d bet my life I know

but for the life of me

I don’t always  a c t      l i k e      I      k n o w

t     h     a     t

medicine

interventions

therapies

treatments

blind studies

experimental aids

placebos

d  o          n o t          h e a l          u s

R   E   L   A   T   I   O   N   S   H   I   P   S

heal us.

Are you a Caring Catalyst?

Do you want to be?

You may be just a mere

h     u     g

a   g e n t l e   t o u c h

a    h e l d    h a n d

away.

Be

t     h     a     t

hug

gentle touch

an open and willing holding hand

Your words will never tell what your actions always will.   .   .

The greatest things in our lives sometimes take place without ever being   c a l e n d a r e d

Are you Ready?