Alive

Sometimes your hear, see and feel something. Something that well, has value.

Today I witnessed a lobby interaction. In the lobby of my oncologist waiting to be called back to chemo row for my herceptin.

There was a man. Older gentleman and he seemed to know quite a few people as the lobby was very busy this morning. Another man came out from chemo row. This first gentleman saw him and said "hey how are you?" And the second man says "well, it's my wife". First man says "I know it's your wife, what's going on?" Second man says "well, we got a heavy blow". First man says "what? what's happening?" And the second man says "well, we don't know exactly, they are trying to figure it out." And he is on the verge of tears. The first man grabs him by the shoulder, gets close to him and looks him in the eye and says "hey, she is still alive." Second man says "yes, yes she is, I've got to step out for a bit."

That exchange, the feel, the sound of it was pure, sincere compassion.

What happens when we put all the petty shit that doesn't matter in a box and toss it over board?

What happens when we recognize that we are all in the same boat heading for an unknown destination because none of us really knows what happens after we die or even what that experience is like but, what we do know is that each and every one of us is going to experience it eventually one way or another?

What happens?

We remember. We remember that we are alive. We remember that we are all fallible, self centered, jerks that are running around scared out of our heads.

And we realize that the fear has little value but, the living does.