Signposts Along the Way: Signpost 8 – Part 2 of 4: A Beautiful Suprise

13 Jun

Upon entering the room and seeing Rochelle, I remember how impossible it was not to look at her. It was not because she was ill. Quite the contrary. It was because she was beautiful! Even though she was lying in this hospital bed, she didn’t seem sick at all. In fact she looked radiant. Her skin was perfect. Her eyes brown and gentle with a smile all of their own. Shiny, dark, shoulder length hair curled softly and framed her heart shaped face. A smile from ear to ear lit the room with her welcoming  joy.

She was resting on her bed amidst pastel colored bed linens and pillows. The room was quite comfortable and not institutional feeling at all. I felt like I was in her bedroom.

There was something very special about Rochelle only I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time. A melody of greetings from the room snapped me backed into reality. I responded as I introduced myself and explained the nature of my visit. Since they were already expecting me, I felt a little more comfortable in asking if the kids would like to come and swim.

Rochelle personally sensed my compassion (as a mother) for her children. She called me close to her. As she took my hand and squeezed it, she whispered, “From my heart, I can’t thank you enough for thinking of my kids. It means so much to me. I consider this a blessing!”

After visiting with Rochelle for awhile our conversation moved to our background. We soon realized that she was originally from my same hometown just 50 miles away! After noting places and acquaintances, Rochelle realized that my older sister, Gini and her were old schoolmates. She had lost contact with Gini nearly twenty years earlier. Elated to entertain these old times, the conversation perked her up. After sharing many fond memories of friends, places and other hometown stories, we had started to form a bonding camaraderie. This reminiscence also made Rochelle feel close to our family and brought her more consolation and peace.

Needless to say, the kids did come to swim almost every day for the rest of the summer. They enjoyed the little things that most other kids their age took for granted. Just being able to feel the sun on their faces, frolic in a swimming pool and play with kids their own age was something they hadn’t been able to do for a long time. If nothing else, this little change of pace went a long way to refresh their tired bodies and minds.

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