Flu and Love in Action

It's been a trying week at the cottage... we've both been hit with the flu. I was struck down Tuesday night after coming home from work... and if it hadn't been for my wonderful DH, things would have been pretty ugly around here. Poor DH was hit with it on Thursday morning in the course of his work day... and he happened to be over 100 miles from home with a drive up the turnpike that doesn't offer many stops. Needless to say... he grabbed some medication from the first aid kit and was able to get home before it got too bad. We are still suffering from some of the lingering aspects of this bug.

We braved the cold temperatures and high winds today to get our errands done. We finished at one store and decided to have a bit of lunch. We pulled into a fast-food joint on the side of town we were on... and I noticed an older man standing near the door. We parked and walked inside... ordered and sat down. We enjoyed our meal, talked and played on our phones, and right before we were leaving, I noticed the man walking from up the street at brisk pace. It was so windy and cold and there were snow flurries.

We went out to the car and went down the road to our next stop, a strip mall where my pharmacy is. We parked and went inside to get my meds... and we weren't really lingering. As we came back out of the store, the man was standing inside the glassed in area of the strip mall, looking out. As we came to him, we both smiled at him and he asked... "Do you have 39 cents so I can catch the bus?" Of course we did... and DH reached for his wallet to give him money. I asked him, "Do you need something to eat?" The man looked down, and said, "I didn't want to ask..." DH reached in his wallet and gave him the rest of what he had. It wasn't much, but we knew he needed it and he headed to the grocery store. I wish I had taken him shopping to get more of what he needed.

It was a humbling experience... and it made me so grateful that I was able to walk to a nice car to drive home. We had more than enough to share with someone who needed it. It's tough out there for so many, and by all accounts in the media lately, it's not going to get any easier. In the past few days... I have been able to enjoy friends and good fortune, and also to help someone else. It felt good... and I hope God gives me more opportunities like this one to give without judgement or reservation.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne