Thursday, UCLA held its annual celebration of unity and kindness. There were display tables set up outside of the hospital and guest speakers. Stanley and three of his PAC buddies were on hand to greet everyone but what struck me the most was the atmosphere. People were reaching out to each other and isn’t that what we need right now?
I wanted to share a couple of positive encounters that I’ve had recently. I was calling a doctor’s office to make a routine appointment and the woman on the phone had to put me on hold several times. She was very apologetic and very appreciative when I assured her that I totally understood.
She admitted that some people are extremely rude to her on the phone. When I commiserated, she said, “we just need to be kind to each other.” I told her I couldn’t agree more. A few days later, I received a letter with a reminder and some information about my upcoming visit. She had attached a small note that read, “Thank you for being so kind.”
The second encounter occurred when I was hiking up a very narrow trail with a friend. We saw four older men coming down so simply moved over and waited to give them room to go by.
One of the men said a sincere “thank you.” Another one commented that it was so nice of us. A third added that it was very “classy.” It was just a natural thing for us to do, truly no big deal, but their reactions made it feel special.
On another note, May is mental health awareness month. It made me look back at my time visiting Resnick Neuropsych at UCLA with the Doods. It’s hard to believe that, starting with Charley, it’s been seventeen years!
I have been blessed to watch the dogs reach patients with severe depression, bi-polar disorder, even schizophrenia. The therapists have told me how remarkably the mood changes as soon as any of the dogs walk in.
They bring a positive energy when they visit. There is no judgment. There are no expectations. They offer love and kindness to whomever needs it. I believe the world would be a much better place if we’d follow their “lead.”
