[dropcap2 variation=”coffee”]S[/dropcap2]erena was a natural leader, a mover-and-shaker. She fought getting older with every fiber of her being. She cruised up and down the halls of her assisted living facility on her walker, giving orders to anybody who’d listen.
Serena wasn’t fond of doctors. “Just a bunch of quacks out to make a buck,” she said. So when it came time for our hospice doctor to visit, I smelled trouble.
“Hello Serena,” our friendly doctor chirped.
“Oh pooh! Don’t you have an emergency somewhere?” she asked.
The doc did everything right. He approached her with small talk. He expressed genuine interest in her life and hobbies. He even told a good joke.
Serena didn’t buy any of it. She rolled her eyes, interrupted him mid-sentence and squawked, “Does you being here really take this long?!”
I laughed so hard I had to leave the room. Luckily, I could hear the doc laughing too.
There are people and things we’d avoid, if we could. But what would we do without them? God uses them to teach us humility, patience, and other critical life skills. They build our character.
So here’s to all you character-builders that we don’t like but that we’d be poorer without. You are blessings in disguise. Thanks for helping us grow into the people we need to be.
