Yes(if only for you)

In my home church there is an older gentleman who I have known for my entire life and has known my mother for her entire life. My mom also looks out for him in more ways then one to keep it simple. Recently however he lost his wife of 60 plus years. He is slipping in to a dementia more and more each day and frequently calls to ask where his (insert something that we have no clue what he is asking about), or to ask on Sunday morning at 10am where he should be (at church).

Last year when I started doing the service on power point and projecting his heart leapt for joy and I am quite sure it physically did. He was so giddy and exclaimed to me that he felt like he was a kid again signing in the choir. He could see the lyrics and the prayers and got to actually be a participant in worship and not an observer. I figured at that point if I made him happy it was all-good.

Last week at the funeral/memorial service, his siblings that have been gosh knows where there. I learned today that he was so excited to tell his siblings about the projector. Something that to me seems to trivial and just ordinary is such a miracle to him. As I was saying goodbye to him after the reception, not knowing what to say other then “I’m sorry for your loss’. He kissed me on the cheek and said ‘your going to be here Sunday right?” “Yep I’ll be there”. Part of me wanted to say ‘if only for you, if only because it means so very much to you’. But I knew that if I could bring such a seemingly simple thing to him, maybe it was brining some joy to others also. To quote from Joan of Arcadia, ‘the ripples where/are good’.

So I encourage you blog readers to act in a ‘yes(if only for you)’ way more frequently then you think necessary. And to keep doing so, the barista that you get your coffee from learn there name it makes a difference (when my customers when I was a photo tech used my name they got superior service), or the person you pass on the way to class smile and say hello, or fill in your blank. You know what it is.