Seventeen Seconds puts it all in perspective!

My morning started out as every other morning this December, with an unexpected trip to some hospital, doctor's appointment or medical center. This morning it was a trip to the vet. Apparently the dog was feeling left out.

It's been a month like no other that I can remember. My mother had extensive back surgery resulting in a ten day hospital stay followed by twelve days in a rehabilitation facility. There were some complications along the way but through determination, stubborness, faith and a lot of prayer she came home in a lot less pain and ready to start the next phase of her life pain free.

My son fractured his elbow last spring and missed most of his sophomore high school baseball season. While taking advil for the pain his kidney's began to fail and he ended up in the hospital for four days. The arm injury was devastating because his whole life he has had one dream....to play in the majors one day. Wait until next year we told him. He worked hard and was cleared to start playing again. This week, while taking a fielding lesson, he came up throwing and felt a "pop" in the elbow. Within an hour we were given the news that he had broken the same bone clear through. His junior year of baseball had come to a screeching halt. He was once again, devastated. He had just been told he would be the number one pitcher, the starting shortstop and bat second in the lineup. Everything he had dreamed of and worked so hard for was finally coming true. It just wasn't going to happen this year. Off to surgery he went to insert two pins and receive a bone graft. The dream is on hold until next year.

My daughter went off to college this past fall. Withing three weeks she had mono and was on her way home to recover. Back she went although she wasn't feeling in tip top shape. She was a warrior and pushed on. The night of mom's surgery I got a call from her at 2:30 in the morning telling me she was on her way to the emergency room for severe stomach pain. She pushed through her finals, arrived home for the holidays and began her trip through the medical community. Finally diagnosed with a bad gall bladder she is off to surgery this Monday.

To say the least, I've been overwhelmed, sad, disgusted, annoyed, frustrated, depressed, tired, unhappy and involved in throwing myself a pretty good pity party. And then I went to starbucks this morning.

As I pulled in the parking lot I noticed an older gentleman entering Starbucks. He walked with a cane and a very pronounced limp. He held his left arm in tight to his chest. If I had to guess, he had had a stroke.

I stood in line behind him and wondered how he was going to carry his coffee and donut. He must be a regular, I thought, because the employees greeted him by name and got his order ready without having to ask him what he wanted. There werer four or five customers sitting at various tables reading their newspapers, involved in conversation and just enjoying their morning.

The gentleman took his coffee and limped over to the coffee bar to put cream and sugar in his coffee. Leaving his coffee there he limped back over to the counter to get his donut. I thought to myself, you've got to be kidding me? All these people, and no one is going to ask him if he needs help? Then I thought, well if he's a regular maybe he's told them he doesn't want help.

After reading the book, The Seventeen Second Miracle, by Jason F. Wright, I've become much more aware of the people around me. You see, it only takes a few seconds to do something nice for someone. This was cleary an opportunity for me to perform a seventeen second miracle. For a split second I was afraid I might insult him and he would get upset with me. Sometimes you have to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation to do that something nice and I quickly dismissed that thought.

I approached him at the coffee bar and asked him if I could help him carry his things. He looked at me and grinned from ear to ear and thanked me. I asked him if he had a favorite seat and he directed me to the long table against the wall. I took his donut, grabbed him some napkins and took off for his favorite table. I returned to get his coffee and accompanied him to his seat. He thanked me multiple times and wished me Happy New Year.

As I left Starbucks, I looked around and noticed all the other customers looking at me and smiling. I hope they were thinking, "Why didn't I think of that" and the next time they see an opportunity to help someone out they will take it.

It only took me seventeen seconds to help that gentleman and turn MY day around. That little seventeen second miracle put things in perspective for me....I really don't have it so bad!

Happy New Year!