The Living Room is Where You Find It

December 13, 2021

Reflections, Day 63

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

—Lao Tzu

I refer to most of my writing efforts as “The Living Room Series.”

The series began about three or four years ago with a discussion of the living room as it once was: with fun, conversation, caring, sadness, and memories. The living room that was kind. I then looked at the internet as a big living room in which we could all share and enjoy. The big problem that I found, though, is that to have an effective living room, we have to follow the rules. We must behave.

A few days ago, I read a post by one of my Facebook friends that brought tears to my eyes. It entered and then extended the Living Room concept. The excerpt is as follows:

“I have to brag a little on my daughter even though she probably won’t like it. Had mom at the ER last night, I told her there were people in there that had been waiting for 8 plus hours to be seen and they were hungry. She sent enough hamburgers via door dash to feed everyone in there. Those were some happy patients. This was a great act of kindness on her part. When being thanked I told them I didn’t do it, my daughter did.”

A lady who knew the hope and despair that pervades the emergency room had seen a need. A lay who understood that the patients were hungry and determined that this was something she could do to help them. She didn’t ask for credit or thanks, she just did it.

The patients were not asked if they were rich or poor,

They were not asked about their religious beliefs,

No one had to state their political affiliation,

Or their sexual identity.

And the room contained members of several nationalities and races.

They were just hungry,

And a kind lady sent them food.

One of my mother’s favorite Bible verses was:

“Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”—Matthew 25:40

Thank you, Frances, for sharing the experience.

—john schulz

Power to the patients

Photo by Tommy Cobb