Sunday morning we needed a little joy to start our day.
On the way to the hospital, I decided to swing by a Starbucks and grab my mom a strawberry smoothie. The day before was such a success that I wanted to keep the good times going! As I pulled into the side street, I noticed a gal sitting in a wheelchair with a “Please Help” sign. A quick glance from my side window showed that she was a double amputee.
Now, this is not the time and place to get into a theological debate about pandhandling in the city, but I will tell you this much – it’s not my place to judge her for what she’s doing. Quite the opposite. My heart instantly empathized with her inability to find work in a traditional job setting. I could only imagine the life challenges she faces daily without the freedom to walk, run, or climb. It nearly broke my heart.
Without hesitation I knew what I should do.
I went through the Starbucks drive thru and ordered three drinks instead of two. Then I parked my car, wrote a quick note, and walked back to the gal in the wheelchair to bless her with a drink in honor of my mom.
I introduced myself to her and asked for her name. “Rita” she said with a smile. I handed her the drink and told her a little about my mom. Rita shared that her mom had struggled with colon cancer, so she could relate to my mom’s struggles. In our short conversation, we discovered that her mom lived in a neighboring part of Nevada where I used to live and I assured her that we would follow her advice of “Take pictures. Take lots and lots of pictures.”
I asked her permission to take a selfie and she happily agreed. She thanked me profusely for the drink and I went back to my car.
When I got to the hospital, my mom was delighted that I did a random act of kindness for her. I sat beside her in the bed and together we make a toast to Rita as the nurse snapped our photo.
Sunday would prove to be a monumental day for my mom. It was full steam ahead with a multitude of visitors and milestone memories to be made.
Check back soon for our next story as we celebrate my mom’s final week on earth. Her funeral will be Saturday, May 13, 2017. If you would like to donate to “Dottie’s Final Act of Kindness” campaign, please click here.
