June 21, 2005
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I want to tell you about Shgay. I don’t even know how to spell her name, and it took me all night to figure out how to say it so I’ll just call her “Friday girl.” That’s how she introduced herself because she volunteers every Friday.
Tonight I went to the 17th annual Breast Cancer Outreach Program potluck dinner. I don’t think the program has been in existence that long, but it was 17 years ago today that Chris, our group’s founder, was diagnosed. We volunteer in two hospitals so because we don’t all know each other there is the obligatory speech about who we are and how we contribute. When it was “Friday Girl”‘s turn I gave her my full attention. She is Japanese and has only been in this country a few years so her English takes close listening.
She explained that she was trained by Gertie and that at the end of her training Gertie said, “You must make sure that you never come in unless you are in a place where you can enjoy the work.” I paraphrased and am disappointed with what I lost in translation. But Friday Girl closed with something so tender — And Gertie died last month so it was even more tender — she said that as she prepares to leave the house Friday morning, she checks to make sure she has joy in her heart.
Comments (14)
What a great & encouraging message. Thank you.
I’m glad you are so supportive of each other.
This is a beautiful message, even if somehow buried under some sort of conflicting something, I can’t quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it’s hard to find the joy in one’s heart every day for such work? Or doesn’t encompass the paradoxes, the need for sympathy and a sharing of despair and compassion and the encouragement joy brings? Or that the memory of the man who lived this creed himself died. It could be a wonderful inspirational piece with a little work… and then submit it to a newspaper… xo
something we should all do, all the time
hi ydurp,
loved your passage today…led me to pondering…”she checks to make sure she has joy in her heart” – - priceless, love it! something we all should check on…
take care…
paulygrl
Here’s to checking for joy in our hearts before leaving–any place.
nice perspective… one we all need to remember!
Such wisdom. Repeat it often for all of us, please. Because the element of joy is really the key to everything.
RYC: *sigh* Wish I really were working on a sewing project! All jokes of stitching squirrel skins aside, it’s been YEARS since I actually unfolded a piece of fabric, ironed some pattern pieces, pinned and cut, and stitched together. I feel a skirt coming on, something simple to get the juices flowing. There’s such therapy in it.
So touching. It takes a great understanding of life to find joy in such situations.
ryc: The shoes do actually have that exotic middle eastern look to them. You’d have to be a pretty damned good belly dancer to dance in them.
Bare foot is definitely the way to go–with any dancing.
…there is an honesty that comes through in listening to a foreign speaker…it comes with the loss of the subtleties of the mother tongue…here it’s refreshing and inspiring…
That was very moving.
Thank you for your continued support. It means a lot to me. You seem very in tune with my mom, and though she and I are very close, I don’t share everything with her. I think she’d approve of your comments, I think she’d be glad that someone with their head on her sholders is keeping an eye on her daughter.
Thank you for being you.
*sare*
Thanks for sharing something so meaningful~ Take care.