The Veterans

Yesterday (Sunday) was another party at the Veterans' Hospital out in Lake City. For their holiday party they played bingo and got little gifts and cookies and things. After every bingo they would yell out, "One more time!" and the announcer would call another game. I was the Cookie Girl, and walked around with my box of cookies and gave one bag to each veteran. The guys are so sweet, they say thank you, and Merry Christmas, and you can just tell they are so appreciative.

There is a man there (from one of the VFW posts, not a patient) with a shirt that says "Big Don". He is quite tall (guess that's where they get the "big" part) and quiet but seems nice. Yesterday he wore a funny Christmas tie with his polo shirt (yes, he looked like a dork but it was on purpose, so it's OK) and that was cute. He's a little older though, and I have no idea if he's married, so I guess I probably shouldn't flirt with him.

At the end of the party, the veterans start going back to their rooms and there's one man who was kind of stuck behind a table so he gave it a shove and I looked over at him and this was our conversation:

Me: "So they stuck you back behind a table, huh?"
Veteran: "Yeah they did. It's really good to see you here."
Me: "Oh, thank you, sir. It's good to see you too."
Veteran: "You are beautiful, sweetheart."
Me: (blushing) "Oh, thank you, sir."
Veteran: "How about a date?"
Me: (laughing) "Sure, when are you free?"
Veteran: "Friday night."
Me: "OK, so you'll pick me up Friday night?"
Veteran: "Sure will." (as he strolls out with his walker. He's about 85 after all.)

So that gave me a great tickle, and I think it did for him too. There was another veteran that I pushed back to his room and we were joking a little bit about how we both get easily confused. He was just clutching his teddy bear and it touched my heart. These guys gave so much for our country, life, limb, their mind sometimes, and there's no way to ever really repay them.

On the way home, I was stopped at a light next to a beggar, a man in a wheelchair with a missing foot. I had stopped for lunch for myself and had a hamburger untouched, so I went ahead and gave it to him. I know a lot of the people who beg on the side of the road are fraudulent, but how could I see this man and not give him something? I heard something a long time ago that God knows of your kindness, even if it goes to the wrong person, and sometimes that kindness may change that wrong person for the better, so it's better to give... something like that. Anyway, I need to be better about doing things like that, so I guess that the burger will be my start.

A very humbling weekend, to be sure. It's probably a fitting way to start Christmas week.