Giving

I'm running around, packing the car and cleaning up the house. It's been a busy week and I'm so ready to head up to the cabin. I filed my first 990 for TBPP today which feels like a wild accomplishment. I cooked enough orzo for an army and I got the oiled changed on the car.

Through this all, I look like I used myself to mop up the floor (literally). Seamus had a half day at school and so minutes before I ran to pick him up to run a couple last minute errands, I got a call from the husband in my earlier TBPP post. He wanted to stop by and pick up extra copies of the movies we made and I told him I'd leave them on the porch, but he said he wanted to try and catch me in person because he had a few things for me. Frankly, I didn't have time to clean myself up, to put on my professional hat or to think about anything more than getting the kids into the car. I even said to Sue, I don't really have time for this, I wish he's just pick them up while I'm out. I probably "herrumphed".

He left a few minutes ago. He was coming from a doctor's appointment, his sister is dying of bone cancer (her husband died last year after a terrible accident), but he was nearby and so he really wanted to stop.

We had a brief conversation, he looked exhausted, he's aged in the few months I've known him. And he wrote me a beautiful card. He also included a check for $1,000.

I want to remember how grateful I feel right now. How inspired I am by the generosity of this lovely man, who is so sad and lonely, who is watching the people most important in his life suffer so terribly. We can't always rise to this level - but when we see it - it opens up our hearts in such a magic way.

And I almost missed the chance to hold his hand, listen to his story, accept his generosity, because I was in a hurry.

A sense of accomplishment is only good, if we don't miss the whole point. Slow down, Anne, slow down.