Welcome 2014, An encounter with Courage

Welcome 2014, I am so grateful that 2013 is over and that we can move into 2014 with confidence and great news. Simon is officially in remission and life is getting some semblance of normality - well my life is never normal, but at least it is leveling out a bit.

For those of you who don't follow Facebook, I started posting the pictures of the blocks I had to piece for Simon's Sunshine 4 All blocks/quilts, the task seem daunting, and I commented that I had to practise what I preached with the saying: 'The journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first step - well these quilts - (still to be pieced) are my first three steps!!

Speaking of steps, I want to share a story with you today. For those of you who know me and follow me on Facebook: Jenny.Gray Haskins, I walk every morning with my faithful little puppy Honey. On these walks, usually in my favourite park, (The Heritage Park), I meet so many people, who all have a story to tell. Well this morning for some unknown reason, I did not got for my usual walk, rather chose to walk in the opposite direction - this was not by chance.

As I was walking down the hill on the foot path, I noticed a lady ahead of me, who was walking funny, sort of walking with a shuffling gate and immediately in my mind, classified her as a certain race thinking, why don't these people learn to walk properly - God always takes me back when ever I make such quick judgements.

As the lady was walking very slowly, I started catching up with her, and noticed that she was swinging one leg, rather than shuffling - how quick I was to judge. As Honey and I walked past I greeted her with, 'Good Morning" to which she replied 'What a Cutie' (this of course was referring to Honey), I thanked her and kept going.

They are  rather long  hills, up and down and very steep, but as I am used to walking hills, I soon reached the top of the hill and started walking back down it, the way I had come. As I was walking up the next hill, the lady I had passed previously came into view, and I soon was up to her again. As I passed I commented to her that she was doing well and what a special person she was walking such a long distance with her obviously damaged leg. (I did not mention the leg.)

She thanked me, and especially for the encouragement and then told me her story:

This amazing woman (who was not old) told me she was from Persia and had worked at a large Hospital in Sydney's west as an interpreter (as we have many nationalities who frequent this hospital especially as part of it is a major Children's Hospital). She had had a brain hemorrhage which left her paralyzed down her left side, being told she would never walk again and would be confined to a wheel chair. Her husband was of no support and told her to give up, but give up she did not.

Here was this amazing woman walking and not a short distance, she told me she was determined to go back to work, and was walking up to the local shopping center, at least another two kilometers away, again up and down hills. She was going to the local library to study online to improve her already many skills - she spoke five languages. Her goal was to get back to work, and continue helping migrants in the hospital who could not read or speak English.We spoke for some time, and she mentioned that God always sent someone special to her when she was struggling and that she needed the encouragement that morning.

I did not know why I chose to go in the opposite direction this morning for my walk, Honey seemed to not want to go in the usual way, so I just said, 'OK let's go this way'. Now I know why!

If this amazingly courageous lady can learn to walk again and not just walk, but walk up and down hills for over three kilometers, then I surely can get these quilts done. She encouraged me also and did not know how, but she did.

We said good bye and wished each other well - we are always so busy in this life, and sometimes we just need to stop, look around and breath, who knows who we will meet and what joy can be transferred.