People come in all types

I work in a hospital. I see a random cross-section of humanity on a daily basis. People are kind, mean, loud, quiet, shy, boisterous, honest, liars, etc. etc. etc. Some people have reasons for their behavior. Some people have behavior without reason. I laugh. I fight tears. I hold hands. I encourage. I enlighten and educate. And sometimes I give a big wake up call and sometimes I get a dose of reality. Nothing will make you feel more alive, more fortunate, than seeing someone in a coma. Nothing will lighten your heart more than seeing true gratitude in the face of another. I experienced one of those moments this week. A very simple thing. I said, thank you, in sign language to a deaf man. His eyes widened, a smile played across his face, and he signed, thank you, back. I signed, you're welcome, smiled, and waved bye. My sign language is, less than, rudimentary. But sometimes it is the simplest of things that make a difference.