Kindness Really Matters

I had to get some blood work done a few mornings ago.

It may not be anxiety-inducing for many but I have “a thing” about needles…

I was told to not eat anything at least 10 hours before.

So I let my stomach growl as I waited in a room full of strangers.

Only one lady smiled back while everyone else was either too busy staring down at their screens or impatiently shaking their legs.

After about 20 minutes, my name was called.

I sat down in the blood work chair, resting the soft side of my jacket on my lap as the nurse folded the flaps down in front of me.

My anxiety rose as the nurse was having some issues locating my vein.

“You have really small veins,” he said.

“Oh yeah?!” - I smiled nervously. 

He soon found a bigger vein on my other arm and cleaned my skin off with an alcohol pad.

I glanced away nervously, trying to find something on the wall to focus on.

The room had typical white office walls with a few scattered medical letters…

Suddenly, I noticed a sweet little crocheted, yellow sunflower on the corkboard to my right.

“Aww! That crocheted sunflower is so sweet. Did you make it?” - I tried to distract myself.

“No, ma’am, I didn’t…… Do you like arts and crafts?” - The nurse understood I was nervous.

It was then I noticed a small note right next to the sunflower - it reads: 

It was then I understood why it was where it was - it was meant to be!

KINDNESS MATTERS BUT OPENNESS IS CRUCIAL

How would the world be if not for the friendly lady in the waiting room? The empathic nurse who drew my blood, and the thoughtful person who leaves crocheted goodies around?

For certain the world would be much colder, more isolating, more robotic, and less fun to be in…

A simple, crocheted sunflower with its accompanying note turned an ordinary medical visit into an unexpectedly positive experience.

A nurse who willingly engaged with his patient turned a clinical encounter into a moment of shared humanity.

The lady who smiled at me in the room set a tone of warmth and human connection, making the environment more welcoming for everyone present.

If I was not open to my surroundings,

If I was only preoccupied with my phone,

And, if I did not try to engage the nurse…

I would have been trapped in the loop of my own thoughts - my anxiety - over a single needle,

A needle crucial to the blood work that keeps track of my health:

in order to stay alive and be healthy - to enjoy and to learn.

Together, the random acts of kindness and openness to connection -

Giving and receiving, like the dance of the yin and yang,

is what shifts our perception of a seemingly indifferent universe.

Something to Ponder Upon:

Without challenge, life has no meaning.

So, how are you challenging yourself?

“Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” - Oliver Goldsmith

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! :)