Small Gestures

By Janice Sakuma, 365 Days of Service, Maui Chapter

So a person that works in the same building as me got sick. What seemed like a bout of the flu quickly got diagnosed as something that would turn his world upside down. This person was someone in the breakroom during coffee. Occasionally shared a table at lunch. While we never socialized outside of the building, we were bound by similar values, a sense of humor, and a 15 year working relationship.

I could not imagine such a drastic change - and made a resolution of sorts, as his illness was discovered at the New Year - to be the friend according to his needs. In the bustling world we live in, that's easier said than done. It's easy to have a week slip by without finding the time for a phone call.

Fast forward nine months. He finds himself in California. With his wife by his side, facing a 100 day hospital/village stay far away from family and friends. I asked daughter number two to give them a call. She visits, takes them for a drive. Another time, she'll have lunch with his wife. They never met as adults prior to this, yet have enough in common to instantly bond.

A year later, he finds himself on Oahu, again in a hospital. This time it's Thanksgiving day. Daughter number one is visiting a cousin in the same hospital, so she sticks her head in the door to say hello. Again, total strangers. She needs to introduce herself and explain who she is. Again there is enough of a common bond. What was intended as a 5 minute hello, goes on for 20 minutes. They laugh, they joke, they connect.

Small gestures go a long way. It doesn't have to be fancy or well planned. Spontaneous moments. That's what life is made of.