A Lesson in Humility

I recently began volunteering at the local hospital. I expect to be in the Emergency Department most often, but spent my first evening on the regular floor. I visited each room and said hello to the patients and refilled any water pitchers that needed it. The patients ranged from friendly and well-adjusted to incoherent and unaware. I walked into one room and was greeted warmly by a middle-aged woman. I asked if she needed water, and she began praising how sweet I was. Then she said, “And you are so just so beautiful!” I immediately thanked her and changed the topic, realizing she must be one of the incoherent ones, as I had come straight from work, pulled my hair into a pony-tail and donned my pink volunteer jacket, which is one of the most unflattering pieces of clothing I have owned since the 80’s. Plus I was standing in a room with bleach-white walls and fluorescent lights which doesn’t make anyone look (or feel) good. We then chatted about her family and I noticed she was receiving blood (I was a little shocked to look up and see a large bag of blood over my head). Then she said, “I just can’t believe how pretty you are! It’s unbelievable.” Well, thank you. I was beginning to think maybe I did look pretty on this evening. I must be shining from some inner beauty. We talked a little more and then she commented for the third time on how pretty I was. Then, she followed up by saying, “I mean a full set of teeth and everything.” Well. Yes, I guess having all my teeth does make me quite beautiful to some. And she brought me down to earth, quickly. I smiled. Nothing like being humbled every once in a while.