Never underestimate the power of Thank You!
The year was 1966 and I was born with congenital heart defects. I was not expected to live as the surgeries I needed where just being developed. Being from a small rural New England town - my parents were told the surgeries I needed were only being done 'out west'. But a young, brilliant surgeon, I'll call Dr. L, was working to revolutionize cardiac surgery in pediatrics and lucky for me, he set up shop in the local big city hospital. In 1972 and 1976 he performed surgeries on me that ultimately saved my life.
Fast forward to 2009. I have never dwelled on my medical history - like the scars on my body - it is just part of who I am. After my second surgery, I was deemed healthy as a horse and lived my life as such. I saw my cardiologist every few years for routine check ups. So when I suddenly had issues with dizziness and weird feelings like I was going to pass out - I called my regular physician - who promptly referred me to my current cardiologist. As luck would have it - he was unavailable. I ended up seeing a doctor I had never met before and as he reviewed my chart - my history seemed to excite him. He was intrigued that I was one of Dr. L's early surgery patients and how Dr. L was so remarkable. I left that visit feeling like Dr. L was a rock star and I was idolized for having known him. It seemed odd but I've thought about the encounter many times ever since. I googled the surgeon and found he retired from the big city hospital a number of years ago but is still an active community member and philanthropist at the hospital.
A month or so ago, as I approached another birthday, I had yet another routine visit with my current cardiologist. Something about this combination of doctor appointment and approaching birthday, along with my ever present desire to express gratitude, put into my head that I should write Dr. L and thank him for saving my life. And that is what I did.
I sat down and wrote a note to Dr. L explaining who I was, the predictions of my fate at birth and how I was going to be celebrating my 46th birthday in a few days because of him. I then simply said Thank You and sent the card on its way. (I found his address online.)
This past week an unfamiliar vehicle pulled into my driveway. It was Dr. L and his wife! My note had meant so much to him that they had driven to my small town (using the return address label on the envelope) to look me up and tell me how much my note meant to him. He stated he had never recieved a Thank You note from a past patient before. This man was approaching his 80th birthday, was a renown pioneer in cardiac surgeon and he was visibly emotional about the note I had sent him!
I had no expectations when I sent the note. I simply wished to say thank you - but this turned out to be a great lesson in gratitude for me. Seeing the impact this note made was an eye opener for me. I can't stop thinking about how moved Dr. L and his wife were. It has also made me wonder who else I should send a thank you note to! Perhaps Dr. T - my Orthodontist who tortured me for years - so I wouldn't go thru life as Bucky Beaver Overbite, or perhaps Kenny - I don't know your last name - from the Boston area - who was my friend the summer of '83.
I suspect we all have someone in our past that we could say Thank You to. Is there a person who unknowingly inspired you, helped you or cared for you? Perhaps a teacher, a childhood friend that you've lost touch with, a camp councelor, or church leader? If you are grateful for something someone did in your past - this person probably has no idea how much it meant to you - and sending that person a note could turn out to mean more to them than it does to you.
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