Good Samaritans

I woke up early today for I had great plans. I knew it was going to be a long day, and I was excited about it. The first thing I had on my agenda was cooking lunch for Jan as promised. As I usually took a really long time, I had to give myself at least two hours to cook. I was going to make four things like we do in Sri Lanka. I had decided the night before that I was going to make white rice, a yellow potato curry, a lentil curry, and green beans with garlic and coconut milk. I got up to the familiar music of my cell phone, quickly brushed my teeth, and washed my face. I was very efficient, and uncharacteristically fast. I made everything in an hour! Highly pleased with myself, I made my regular breakfast: oatmeal with peanuts and raisins and a touch a of organic maple syrup. Yummers!

I neatly packed everything into my backpack and got dressed. I was rather tired, so as I had a few minutes before the bus, I lay down for five minutes with ankle braces and all. It felt good to rest a bit after being productive. Then I took the Blue Line to the Milner library. As planned, I worked on my play for a couple of hours. I must say that the play is coming out really well. It is very intense, of course, but there is quite a bit of comic relief, too. I emailed Don and Phil, and told them that as my speech is better, I could maybe play my part! They haven’t written back, but I’m utterly thrilled at the prospect. As I felt I was getting a little tired, I went to Burgerking to have some coffee. I was back to my usual self. One of the primary symptoms of ms is fatigue, and I somehow manage to battle this symptom fairly successfully. My only issue is that I try to do a tad more than I can handle.

Jan usually has her lunch at 11.30, so I thought I’d take a bus from the Bone Center. I walked over to the spot where buses stopped (right in front of the building in which Health Services is located) and waited a few minutes. No buses seemed to be coming, so I decided to walk so that I could get to the English Department before 11.30. It was a fairly long distance, especially for someone like me, but I persisted. As I was close to Stevenson, buses went past me one after the other!! Three of them, in fact. This never fails to happen, but I didn’t have time to worry about the misfortune. Huffing and puffing, I arrived at Stevenson and reached the fourth floor at 11.29. Phew!

I’m so glad I was able to do this, and Jan enjoyed the food. I did get a text message from Lisa, saying that she was very sick and was in the hospital L We were planning to have coffee, but good God, I hope all is well with my friend. Please keep her in your prayers that she finds strength and comfort to go through mammoth medical issues at such a tender age. I pray that she can return to her usual grace and youthful joy very soon.

After lunch, because my coffee date with Lisa was cancelled, I could rest for a while in the English department. Then I headed over to Carl’s with John for our bible study. It was very productive, and the soft and creamy raspberry ice cream was wonderful. Yummers!

John dropped me at my apartment, and I took a fairly long nap to recover for dinner with Quint and Krista. It was good to see them, and Quint suggested that we go to Chili’s. I had never been to the place before. It was a busy place, and Holy Moses, the food we ordered was DELISH!! I took a number of pictures (they are posted on Facebook) and we talked, laughed, ate, and all in all, had a grand time. I felt, of course, that I ate way too much. I really didn’t in retrospect as I had ordered a Caribbean salad with dried cherries, pine apple, and mandarin oranges (like heaven, it was!), but I had to swim. Krista and Quint dropped me off at the “Y”. I had only thirty minutes before the “Y” closed! I swam super fast and was able to do six laps. When I came out of the pool, though, I was terribly disabled. It was hard to take even half a step without battling imbalance. I took time, getting ready, and was at the front desk to return my locker key and get my own keys. The front desk was closed, and I was wondering how I could get my keys back, when this young kid emerged from nowhere and asked me what my keys looked like. After I told him about the red string, he fished them out for me, and I was on my way out of the “Y,” but my balance was a mess. I knew that the “Y” was only a couple of blocks from my apartment, and I simply had to go up Evans Street. I didn’t know how to find Evans Street, though. At the entrance to the “Y” as I was looking baffled and lost, that same kid who fished out my keys came to my rescue. He explained how to get to Evans Street, but it sounded much longer than I had envisioned it to be. I listened to him, retaining nothing. He was going the other way, but he came back and tried to show me where to go. It sounded like a really long way, and I was almost certain that I was not going to be able to make it. At this instant, another gentleman coming out of the “Y” asked me where I was trying to go. The kid explained, and Terry (as I later learned his name) offered me a ride. Ahhh, the little deeds of kindness. Terry was a Good Samaritan to a T just like that kid. He said I should wait right there while he got his car from the parking lot. I saw him going to his car, and I saw that kid going over to Terry and explaining further how he could get to Evans Street. Two good Samaritans in one day! Maybe they are not Samaritans, but angels. This whole incident was an amazing testimony to the goodness human beings are capable of.

Terry dropped me at the door of my apartment. On the way, I told him that I had ms and I was concerned about the walk. I knew that I was ok as I had my Blackberry and many helpful friends. Terry encouraged me to keep swimming, and when I told him my name, he said he’s going to call me “Las”! Strangely, that’s what some of my best friends call me.

What a day it had been! A good day, though, and I must say that despite the many battles and challenges, I was once again glad to be alive for I was a witness of true goodness… true beauty. Blessed indeed are the pure of heart.