A Serving of Compassion by Rena Fagel [Off Topic]

[Guest guest]

E-Greetings: Please allow me to pass on this beautiful story.

A word I use often lately is " busy " . I seem to cram more necessary

tasks into every available minute of my day. So with that as

background, on Thursday, July 6, 2006, I headed out to pick up dinner

for my husband (I don't cook).

Many suburban restaurants in my town of 55,000 now offer curbside

pickup, where you pull into a specially designated parking space and

wait for the server to bring your food to you. I headed to the one

where my husband had phoned his order.

As I waited in my parking spot at the restaurant, I saw an old man

coming out of the restaurant's door. He had a labored walk, and

carried a single-hand walker (the kind that has four legs which sprout

at the bottom of a cane).

As he came through the door, for no reason I could discern, he fell.

This happened very quickly. As I registered that he had fallen and saw

the confusion on his face, I started to get out the car and go to him.

But the curbside server beat me to it. " Bill " was immediately down on

his knees in front of the man, quietly telling him to remain still and

asking if he was hurt.

The old man was clearly still coming to grips with what had happened

and didn't answer for a few seconds. He looked up into the face of the

server with slight confusion on his face. The server talked to him

some more, in a soothing fashion. When Bill had elicited from the man

that he thought he was uninjured, Bill told the man to stay where he

was and he'd pick him up.

And pick him up he did. Carefully, but firmly. There was not a hint of

discomfort or awkwardness about Bill as he righted the man back to a

standing position.

Bill then quietly inquired further as to whether the man remained

uninjured. When the responses he received were safe, he walked with

the man to his car. As I watched them, their backs to me, the server

maintained a respectful but protective distance from the man. He

lightly kept his right hand in contact with the small of the man's

back, clearly mindful of the fall the man had taken and concerned for him.

When they got to the man's car, the server ensured that the man got

into it comfortably and safely.

It's a pity sometimes that words can't convey the nuances of an event

or an experience. That server was so incredibly respectful and careful

of the fallen man's dignity. It was evident in his every move, in the tone

of his voice, and in the care and concern he provided through his

thoughtful actions.

I was impressed and touched. I tipped that server *heavy* when he

brought out my order and I told him why. Then I headed home. I had

just witnessed common, everyday compassion, and it was foremost in my

mind.

Be Blessed

Darwent

Moderator, Chronic Pain

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing that, ! You got me all weepy, but in a good

way.

Cheryl in AZ