Well, I got the biggest shock and surprise of my life yesterday evening.
About 7.30 pm comes a knock on my door, can't move as fast as usual these days thanx to this annoying slight to moderate CVA.
I open the door and there, standing in front of me smiling are 7 of my Counseling Clients, ages ranging from to 28 all smiling and asking to come in, how could I refuse.
First thing I get is, " We heard on the grape-vine about you being in hospital and having a slight stroke, now we have come to repay you for all the good things you did for us and NO saying NO either."
One thing I learned over the years is, when face with any group contain 5 females and 2 males NEVER disagree...LOL.
So I had to sit there like a frog on a log, saying nothing, doing nothing while they discussed, organized, re-organized and worked a Roster system for helping me out, something I might add that I am NOT very used to.
The end result is now that I have a "roster system" where at certain times on certain days, my yards will be cleaned, weeded and lawns cut, my laundry will be done, folded and put away ( something I am not renowned for and hardly ever do), housework, such as cleaning, dusting, etc, shall be done my gardens weeded and tidied PLUS these wonderful people have DECIDED that ONCE per week, or even more if weather and my recovery permits, I am to be taken out for trips in the local areas, picnic/s in a park over even a short one day only Fishing trip to the river about 0 kilometres away AND the ONLY EXCUSE for NOT going is illness such as The Plague, Delhi Belly or a note from a Doctor.
When I was permitted to "interrupt (LOL)" they listened but simply and firmly told me " You gave us all reasons to go on, to get out of the hells we were in, to become who were are today and not to just give up, go on boozing, drugging and selling ourselves, yes we know you always told us the we owe you nothing and will never owe you anything, you did good to and for us, now sit back and let us give you the same."
Okay, I admit that at hearing that I had tears pouring from my eyes and streaming down my face but inside me I knew that this was something way, way any monetary reward anyone could expect because IT came from the HEART and not the Pocket.
After hugs and hand-shakes all around, we then settled down to an evening together not as Counselor and Clients but as good and long time friends enjoying each others company, exchanging news and information, etc, and parted company, temporarily as I was informed, with smiles, hand-shakes and hugs and kisses from the ladies.
Karma, you got exactly what you deserve. Good works pay the best dividends. Happy for you.
What goes around comes around.
I know but I'd much prefer to see passed forward though.
@Triphid They recognized that you still have much to give, so your health and wellbeing is of great importance to them and to the ones you have yet to help.
My Mom taught me that you have to take care of number 1 so number 1 can take care of the rest. In this instance they are showing you that you are number 1 in their books and ensuring you will be there for them. You are a good man and role model and they need you.
A heck of a testament to the quality of the work you put in! Congratulations on developing such wonderful young people!
Hey I do what I do because when I needed it there almost no-one/nothing around.
I swore an oath ( Atheist style that is) that I would do my bloody darnedest to change that situation.
@Betty Yes and where once there WAS just me and 2 good friends who provided me any necessary transport at even the oddest of hours, the little "group" has "expanded" in the last, almost 19 months now to having 6 Certified Volunteer Counsellors on hand and working a Roster System, 2 on-call volunteer vehicles with 4 volunteer drivers and the biggest surprise of ALL, Government Funding which includes Exemptions from ALL Taxes, vehicle up-keep, fuel costs and insurances, etc, and went each vehicle reached the 300,000 kilometre Working Life Limit it gets REPLACED by the Government, FREE of Charge within 2 months.
The Funding from the Government is a kind of PRIVATE thing because IF the similar Church Operated Services were to discover it then, to quote our sponsor in the Government who moved for it and got it awarded to us on a 99 years basis, "They'd come down like a plague of Locusts crying POVERTY and Persecution until the cows came home, I want THIS Community Service to stay EXACTLY as it, FREE to ALL in need, no matter the Creed, Colour, etc, for as long as possible WITHOUT the Interferences and the interferences and meddling of Religion, Politics, etc, etc, this service grew from Love, Care and Kindness, rare commodities in this day and age, it DESERVES to Live, Thrive and spread across the world."
@Betty No probs my friend, no probs, it is just out this way we've had so many "wannabe Leaders" who wanted to lead us but would be hard pressed finding their own arse with BOTH hands, and I have worked amongst more than my fair share of them btw, that I prefer to be the one who listens and then gets them to discuss any/all ideas, etc, that have comes across their mind instead.
@Triphid It makes me sad that the honor of "Leader/Leadership" has been corrupted. I was taught that a "Leader" imparts their experience, knowledge, and wisdom with the intention to guide through thoughtful care and kindness. When I assigned that (word that must be avoided) to you, I meant it as a compliment of your accomplishments. I'll try to remember not to use it again.
@Triphid If I read that right, I think you just called me nice. Thank you for the compliment, you are too sweet. As long as you continue to share your wisdom with others, you can be sure that the possibility of extinction has been put off for the foreseeable future.
I am amazed at how a word or phrase can mean one thing to a person and something quite different to another. Language can be a tricky thing these days.
What a marvelous gesture!
Hey, ALL I do is to TRY and do the best I can.
@Triphid Yes, all you can do.
My husband had a massive heart attack, in 1988, a stroke in 1993, & he lost his peripheral vision so had to give up his driving license. He has a few minor memory issues, but has done well for years. They think a piece of blood clot broke away in his heart, which traveled up to lodge in his brain.
@Lilac-JadeCanada That is distinct possibility unfortunately, sadly as we age so do our inner workings as well as the outer ones as well, give my best and kindest of regards to your "other half " please.
@Triphid Thank you. He's 77 now, & has cheated death many times.
@Lilac-JadeCanada Perhaps we, him and I, should make our club then.
According to my medical records, at 7 months old I SHOULD have died from a very severe bout of pneumonia, against 12 months later it tried again and kept trying until was around 8 years old, then, as every boy did back in those days, I rode my home-made billy-car down the steepest hill available, went at full speed UNDER a truck and has 3 ribs crushed BUT still survived.
Move on a few more years, I walked around for almost a week with my infected appendix leaking in to my abdomen before collapsing in agony, my Dad was told by the Surgeon that, " If this lad survives the Operation and lives through the night it will be 100%, 24 carat miracle.
According to the Doctor on duty I asked for breakfast at about 7.00 am the next morning with a grin on my face.
After that things got a wee bit "easier" but that is another story for later.
@Triphid Wow. Stubborn stuff. My husband says he's too grouchy to die.
I only had whooping cough, scarlet fever, ruptured appendix, & cancer, among many other lesser ailments.
@Lilac-JadeCanada Then you are nominated to join the Group known as We told Death to Piss off and come back WHEN we call you."
Welcome Aboard friend and colleague.
@Triphid Yes, I'm coming up to 17 years post cancer.
@Betty Maybe, but as my Dad once said when I was near death from a ruptured Appendix and a HUGE infection caused by, "He's like me, too STUBBORN to just lay down and die, he'd argue the Toss with the Devil and still come out a winner."
That was, according my Dad, approx. 3 months before my 12th. Birthday and the Doctors were trying to prepare him for the worst.
@Betty Yes those pests that early English Settlers from Noble (???) families brought over here to " give themselves that little extra taste of Old Mother England" let loose in a land that, until then, 100% free of such fast breeding vermin and within approx.20 years were at almost plague proportions, destroying native habitats, vegetations by the hundreds of acres, causing great swathes of soil erosion and destruction of native plant species, etc, etc, yes those little creatures.