The best Thank You Note I’ve ever received

14 Nov 2007 7 Comments

by Christine in gratitude, journal, life, paramedicine, reflection, yoga

No, you’re not supposed to be able to read it, it’s written in the language of the heart. By a toddler.

I was who they got when they called 911. Her Grandpa was very sick. Her Grandpa wouldn’t go to the doctor or a hospital. Her Grandpa had made a very grownup decision. He’d been to the doctor at the hospital. They had told him what they could & couldn’t do for him. He decided not to go back. He knew what that would mean.

His daughter was beside herself and called us. We were there for two hours. I cajoled, reasoned, flirted, called his doctor did everything I could think to do. I played with his granddaughter. My partner made them toys.

In the end, he chose to stay at home. His wits were about him, he was knowledgable and clear. His daughter’s mind was a little more at rest.

On the way out, my new friend handed me this very neatly folded note. It was two pages long. All she said was “Thank you for taking care of my Grandpa.”

The best thank you note I’ve ever received is for not doing a thing, not even really taking care of anything. Nothing changed from when they called. Grandpa is still closer to death than most with less padding between. Grandpa will still die at home. I haven’t changed the inevitability, the pain, the poignancy or made anything more clear. The best thank you note I’ve ever received is for doing nothing at all.