Of Service and Love

There is a proverb that goes something like this:

If you want to be happy for an hour - take a nap...

If you want to be happy for a day - go fishing...

If you want to be happy for a year - inherit some money...

If you want to be happy for a lifetime - serve others.

I have never been able to be of service to someone else without developing a feeling of respect, friendship and love for that person. I better understand their lives and their needs and their souls. And that is miraculous.

What I always had difficulty with was allowing others to serve me. I don't hesitate (well, not too much) when called upon to do service, or when I see others that I can help. However, stubborn, ol' me just won't ask for help from others. What a shame. Thankfully, I have been forced to learn otherwise.

Last September I shattered my right tibial plateau and developed compartment syndrome - which I have explained in earlier postings. I found myself in a position where I could do nothing - well, very little - for myself. I couldn't even go to the bathroom without someone half-carrying me there.

Day after day, week after week, I had to rely on others to help me. I had those who helped me change my clothes, those who helped me care for my wounds, those who helped learn to walk again. And something wonderful happened. I found that I truly loved these men and women.

I know that helping me was part of their jobs as doctors, nurses and rehabilitation therapists. Nevertheless, they did something for me that I can never repay - they gave me my life back. How can I not love them?

Recently, I was in the area of the rehab clinic and the hospital where I was cared for. I had some time, and decided to visit my caregivers and express my gratitude. It was as if all the parts of the jigsaw puzzle of my life for the past 6 months came together to form a perfect picture.

I hugged each of them - without embarrassment or fear; after all, they had definitely seen me at my worst! And I thanked them for working with such dedication and faith in me. Tears were shed and smiles were big. Moreover, I could see the other patients - patients that were now in the same position I was in just a few months ago - looking at me with hope and trust.

Yep. Service engenders love. Let others serve you and you will have a friend for life. Serve others and you will be someone else's friend for life. It is service that will save us all - or condemn us, if we fail one another. I applaud Disney's current crusade to inspire 1 million people to do service. I hope that we all can seek ways to serve without a trip to Disneyland. Because when you truly serve, you are on the road to heaven anyway.