A Valuable Lesson

Yesterday I had to let my neighbor’s dog outside while they were gone for the day. The only problem, unbeknownst to them, was that due to a  fall,  I injured my leg and was using a cane. Climbing the many stairs to let the dog out was painful and precarious for me. At least, I thought, I could take my garage door opener with me so at I would not have to climb my front porch stairs when I returned to my home.

After navigating all the stairs at my neighbor's house and safely arriving home, wouldn’t you know I had left my garage door opener upstairs at my neighbor’s house.  Sigh.  That meant a painful return trip up all those stairs.

 Then I saw another neighbor across the street about to get into her car. I yelled for her to come over and asked her to go up the stairs for me to retrieve my garage opener. She did not really listen to what I was saying. She was focused and frazzled because, as she explained to me, she was late for a hair dresser appointment.   So I just waved her on. Now this is a very nice woman and I know she would have helped me if  she were not so caught up in the fact she was late for her appointment. She did not even hear what I was asking. This made me wonder about myself.  I am a very schedule-driven person with long to-do lists for each day. How many times a day do I miss an opportunity to help someone?  At the end of the day what is more important? My to-do list or stopping to listen and help others? 

Can you pull yourself away from your To-Do Lists and busy schedules to take one-hour a week to visit with a person in a long-term care facility who has no friends or relatives and really needs you to listen to them?  If you would like more information about becoming a Betty Brewer's Angel volunteer, please contact me.