Lessons learned through unselfish acts
I married a very good woman. As of this writing I have not seen my wife since about 5 p.m. Sunday. No, we aren’t involved in some major marital disturbance. No, she hasn’t been kidnapped. And, no, I haven’t been away from home for business or pleasure.
The reason I haven’t seen her is because she is in a Pittsburgh hospital.
She’s not there for treatment or some health problem of her own. She is there helping a young friend.
I’ll explain.
On Sunday, she drove to Fairchance to pick up the friend and her 22-month-old daughter to take them to our place of worship. Upon arrival my wife saw an ambulance outside her friend’s home. Quickly she learned the child was in the grip of a health crisis. The toddler had been very difficult to awaken and when her father did rouse her she was extremely lethargic.
It’s the couple’s only child and, to say the least, they were extremely upset.
My wife accompanied them to the hospital, stopping long enough at our place of worship to let me know what had happened.
My wife remained with the couple until all tests had been run (blood work, examination, a CAT scan), and none showed the cause of what medical personnel by that time were calling some form of seizure.
I stopped at the hospital after our morning worship program to see how things were going. The child was better but not out of the woods. I stayed a little while and then returned home. My wife remained at the hospital.
She came home later that afternoon. By that time all the tests the local hospital could do had been done and it was decided to send the child to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.
The medical personnel were going to transport her via helicopter. However, there were no spots onboard for either parent. They were told to follow by car.
“They don’t know their way around Pittsburgh so naturally I told them I would drive them down,’ my wife said with a hint of apology in her voice.
You see this isn’t the first time she has put herself out in great measure for others. In the years we have been married I have often chided her for being too giving, for spending too much of herself on other people during her frequent bouts of offering others some kind of assistance.
By 5 p.m. they were on the road.
By 9 p.m., my wife called to let me know all had arrived safely. She also told me she was staying the night at the hospital since it was likely the child would be released the next day. That way she could bring them all home.
I had remained home to take care of some chores that had been piling up. I was looking forward to spending a quiet evening at home, together.
I didn’t say anything or express my disappointment. Why? Because I know what she does is out of a tremendous love for God and people.
I am much more restrained, selfish even, because I feel that people should stand on their own. I’m wrong in that attitude since all of us need a little help at times.
My wife is far from being a saint. I cannot understand why she insists on leaving empty cans in the sink instead of throwing them in the garbage. Sometimes she vocalizes her irritation with something I do or don’t do in such a way that it makes me feel like a child. I don’t like that.
But what she has taught me about giving of one self is immeasurable. I won’t profess to being able to come even close to her in that regard. Few people I know could ever reach that height.
Yet I’m proud and privileged to have her love, and, I hope, her respect.
I don’t tell her often enough how special I think she is. I hope this helps correct that a little.
I’m sure we all know someone who gives freely never expecting anything in return.
Have a good day.
Jim Pletcher is the Herald-Standard’s business editor. E-mail: jpletcher@heraldstandard.com.