Kindness

I continued to read Obama’s memoir until midnight waiting for a call from the hospital, but my phone didn’t ring. That must be good. I called the nurse to get some updates. Her breathing had improved; therefore, they lowered the Vapotherm. An infectious disease doctor examined her and prescribed Rocephin for her. I slept better last night with tremendous hope.

As I was driving back to Lancaster last Thursday, I was desperate for some medical advice and I immediately thought of Phú. We knew each other way back when we first came to America. We lost touch for a while, but then reconnected through Facebook. I didn’t know if I should call out of the blue because we haven’t been in touch for so long, but I reached out to him anyway. I figured it wouldn’t hurt. I am so glad that I made the call. He has been so kind with his time and knowledge. He has called and texted to get updates on my mom’s status. I am both thankful and feeling guilty at once.

Carol is one of my sister’s family dear friends. I have heard my mom and my sister talked about her as Heather’s grandma. Heather is around Samantha’s age. Heather used to live across from my sister’s previous house. Carol visited her granddaughter and she must have loved Sammy. That was how they had been closed. On Friday, my sister gave Carol my phone numbers. I have never met Carol, but she has been such a caring person. She calls me everyday to get an update on my mom, my sister, and my nephew. She told me stories about how my mom always offered her tea and Asian goodies every time she came by the house. She treats my mom like her older sister. She is going through a tough time herself. She is taking care of her son who is in his 50s and dealing with chronic depression. She misses her husband who died in 2014. They had been married for 49 years. I loved her stories and I wanted to console her as well.

I am grateful for friends like Phú and Carol. Their kindness touches my heart.