At Least They're Committed

I was recalling earlier today the woman in the waiting room at the doctor’s office when my mom frantically hustled me in for the fever and abdominal pain I was suffering from at age 16. The pain came and went, but the sickness showed all over me. There were many people waiting to see the doctor. My mom, having already had her appendix out, pretty much knew what was up. Her fear was palpable, but I didn’t feel fear, just pain. They called the name of the woman seated to our right, her turn. “No,” she said. “Please, take her first.” I was gray. They took me in. My appendix wasn’t just going bad, it was swollen and twisted around my intestines and about to rupture when they got me into surgery. It occurred to me today that the woman who insisted we go first likely saved my life. And she never knew that. And it’s a good example of how the little acts of kindness we do in life can change lives and how many silent heroes there are out there, and some of them never even know they’re heroes and that’s pretty cool.