Over the many months I have several friends and family that have asked how am I doing. The concern is really quite there, but I have learned a really important rule of thumb, if they say that statement and the next thing out of their mouth is all about them, I know they are just asking automatically not out of real concern.
I was telling a friend the other day (believe me this person is a really sweet lady) about a young couple that my daughter knows really well that has just found out that their two daughters have bubble boy syndrome. Now mind you maybe my friend didn't know much about bubble boy syndrome, I sure didn't know. Bubble boy syndrome is where the entire family must stay locked in their home for fear that their children will contract something through their individual contact outside of the home. The family has five children and their father has had to give up his jobs (he was working two jobs) in order to keep the children healthy.
Again back to my friend, I am not kidding the minute I initally told her about this friend and I stopped talking she starting telling me about her health issues and her problems and what is in her future. I am not sure if that was a knee jerk reaction to not have to talk about this person's blight or on a selfish "I like to hear myself talk".
When you are going through a health issue, it is a very personal issue, but it effects so many (your family, friends, your job, etc.) I have learned sometimes that nothing is as easy as a cold or the flu, it is much worse and you just don't know how lucky you were at one time to just have the everyday cold.
You also realize that while you are healthy sometimes you will hear about someone else's blight like this young family with their children, sometimes you ignore and sometimes you pay it forward. But it never hits closer to home until you are sick and you realize their blight is a lot worse than yours. Your sickness doesn't go away because you justify yours against someone else's problems, it just puts it into perspective.
There are a lot of sick people, families, co-employees that are out there. Some of them won't come out okay. Some will have death, and some will have miracles. It is up to us, sick or well to do something to help ease, may it just be a kind word or a token that you can afford. That's called "Humanity." Some countries or groups would rather allow those to die to ease their burden of having to even think about caring. If one thing is taken from this world it is not the word but the action of "Humanity."
It is soon Christmas and I think more and more of these sad family stories come out for them to not be left behind, especially at this time of the year. Let's don't forget the act of Humanity during the rest of the year. Christ wouldn't.
