"Sap" Alert

there was something that happened on my last trip to houston that i've been wanting to write about. It harkens back to a much earlier blog about a nice man i met when i was having a bad day. ( He reminded me of my dad, but then most super-nice guys in their late "50's" ( ahem!) make me think of Dad.) i only mention that because he was immediately easy to talk to and we ended up having only 2 real conversations, both of which we ended up in tears. Maybe we're both just real saps.

So last Wednesday, after discovering that MDAnderson doesn't provide a "Wheelchair Taxi Service" like i had thought, i ended up hopping all over creation on crutches. I was so relieved to catch a ride on a little golfcart-like-tram thing that i almost didn't notice Patrick. I looked over to all the folks walking in this busy area, and caught his eyes just as the tram was pulling away. I said "hey, its patrick" and he motioned at the driver, asking him to stop for a second. He dug into his labcoat and pulled out several folded papers , handed them to me and said he'd been carrying it around since we met back in July, in hopes that he'd see me again. It was labeled "Mission San Juan Capistrano."

I'll have to look back and see what i wrote about the day i met Patrick, but i'm pretty sure i never got around to following up on seeing him the next day in the Free Coffee Area. He came up, shook my hand and slipped something into it. I looked and saw that it was a beaded bracelet with a cross carved of marble. He asked me if i had a minute so that he could tell me the story of where it came from.

He told me that recently he had visited some vineyards at a place called The Old Mission of San Juan Capistrano. He had been there several times before and never noticed a little chapel until this last trip. He said that his experience upon entering was unforgettable--he was alone and it was a very small, quiet, intimate space completely lit by candlelight. At the altar there was a statue of a Saint, and he walked up to get a closer look. He recalled how he first noticed that the statue's knee was worn to a different color; polished to a shine by all of the many hands that had touched it there. The statue turned out to be of Saint Peregrine, the Patron Saint for Cancer Sufferers. (i'm not sure if he is catholic or not, but this was poignant to him since he works with cancer patients)

He began to get emotional as he told me the rest of the story. I, being the sap that i am , also started to get teary because this stranger had taken the time to come find me and share this with me. The previous day, when i had told him about my Knee-Bunion, he said he was reminded of that experience and had something he wanted me to have. In 1325, Saint Peregrine had a cancerous lesion near his knee and almost had to have his leg amputated. The cross on the bracelet is from that chapel and is made of the same marble that was used in the statue.

Last Wednesday, as i was being driven away, he asked "How's your son?" i said the first thing that came to mind: "He's cute as ever". Patrick hollered, "i know that, but How Is Your Son?" I hope i wasn't too far away for him to hear "GREAT!"

I'm still wearing the bracelet.