It wasn't something I do every day, but this past Thursday, I found myself visiting a few neighbors that I had not met.
Coming up to the front door, I couldn't help but notice there was something different about this house: the door was a gleaming gold...not from the sun shining just so on the wood, but actually, really gold! A fruited garland adorned the top. It just "fit".
"Inside," I thought, "must be something special!"
I rang the doorbell. After several moments, a lady in her 70's answered the door, still in her robe and slippers, although it was nearing 9:30 a.m. She moved with the help of a walker. She had a cheerful face, a soft look with just a hint of sleepiness.
"I love your door!" I busted out and introduced myself. I explained that I was meeting new people in the neighborhood to discuss interest in putting together a community-based education program for nutrition for families.
The white-haired lady stopped me mid-sentence, "I don't think I'm interested....I'm terminal. I'm dying of cancer." Next, her daughter who had driven in from Iowa to help her mother "get her affairs in order", came over to the open door and smiled without saying a word.
I smiled back and saw the love that connected daughter to mother, person to person, heart to heart. I then realized that today, rather than me offering something to someone, I was being offered a gift. You see, inside that golden door was the gift of family and I was there to witness something made beautiful out of something that was harsh.
Today, I would like to say a special thank you to all the caregivers of the world. Without you, life would not be as precious.
Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD
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