don't cash in your chips

One of the things that amazes me is that we cannot always imagine who we can learn from, if only we are open.

Today i was visiting in a Nursing home, and came upon a patient who was quite dissheleled. He was in his wheelchair, unkempt, unshaven, and not appearing to be a source of wisdom.

He surprised me. James usually is quiet, sometimes surly, rarely open and frankly - often rude to others, but today was different. He seemed to want to talk.

"Doc, I'm disabled," he said, "but I've never been an invalid." "That's true," i said, curious to what more he might say.

"You meet the best friends in the strangest places," he said. I listened. "When my wife left me, i thought i was done with - you know - caring about the other sex, but i found someone here i care about."

"I was fine until 2000," he said, "when i had a heart attack and the quadruple bypass. I recovered from that, but then i had a stroke. Then my wife walked out on me and divorced me. I fought me way back, worked hard at rehab and i went home. I could walk a mile a day until the accident."

Aware of his amputated right leg, i asked, "how long ago was the accident." "Three years," he said. I knew that but wanted to keep talking. "I'm waiting for my prosthesis to come in. I've been waiting three years." He had had an infection and his stump was not suitable for a prosthesis, but i kept that information to myself today. "When the prosthesis comes in I'm going to walk again," he added.

"Life is like the stock market," then adding, "you haven't really lost as long as you dont cash in your chips. And I'm not ready to cash in my chips."

"No your not!" I said emphatically.

"I have a lot to live for," he told me, " 3 grandchildren and a fourth on the way this October. And i have a friend here i really care about, never thought that would happen again."

I put my hand on James shoulder, "thank you for sharing so much."

"Thank you for listening."

I felt a tremendous light streaming into our nursing home. I would not have thought James could have accomplished this. And i was thankful for being a part lof the moment.

There is a Gendai Reiki prayer i was taught. As we are connected to the light of this pure energy, we are taken to "a higher dimension. You are blessed with the healing energy of love and harmony. And any unbalanced energy such as worry, anger, sorrow, pain and anxiety simply cannot exist at this level."

Every day we need to keep in mind, that as we strive to help others, we need to be open to receiving lessons from them. One never knows where one can find a teacher.