Hey, are you still enjoying that?
Today was like any other day at work—filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep me on my toes. But today’s journey took me on a quest to find one of my favorite patients who was en route to the hospital in an ambulance.
Instead of opting for a simple phone call, I found myself driving to not one, but two different hospitals in search of her. As luck would have it, I happened to be near the first hospital her granddaughter thought she might have gone to. Needless to say, she wasn’t there, so I embarked on a one-hour journey to reach her.
Call it intuition or divine guidance, but I felt compelled to find her, and my gut led me straight to her side. Along the way, a serendipitous encounter with a penny reaffirmed that I was on the right track.
Upon arriving at the ER, I found my sweet 86-year-old friend in a less than ideal condition. Despite her struggles, she’s a giver through and through. A widow who has endured the unimaginable loss of burying two children, she continues to give tirelessly to her surviving child, even in the face of theft and threats to her well-being.
This imbalance between giver and taker struck a chord with me. Life is often portrayed as a delicate balance between light and dark, good and bad. Yet, witnessing the selfless care of a young giver juxtaposed with the selfishness of a taker’s actions made me question my own role in this dynamic.
As I pondered on this throughout the evening, a simple act at the grocery store served as a poignant reminder. Watching someone abandon their shopping cart in the parking lot, despite the designated return area being mere steps away, highlighted the stark contrast between giving and taking.
It made me wonder—what kind of person am I? Am I a giver or a taker? And more importantly, who do I aspire to be?
In a world where the lines between right and wrong can blur, these questions linger in my mind. But one thing is clear: the choice is ours to make. Will we choose to give, to uplift and support those around us? Or will we take, prioritizing our own needs at the expense of others?
As I reflect on today’s events, I’m reminded of the profound impact of our choices. So I ask you, dear reader: Who do you want to be? The giver or the taker?
The answer lies within each of us, waiting to be discovered and embraced. And in that choice, we shape not only our own destiny but also the world around us.
Let’s strive to be givers in a world that sometimes takes too much. After all, it’s the giving that truly enriches our lives and those of others.
The Dish by Deni 