Mary
I keep meeting interesting people although I’m not always sure what to do with them. Last Sunday at church, I noticed a woman who I had not seen before. She sat two pews in front of me and seemed to have some kind of a purpose. There was something about her way and how she carried herself that reminded me of someone. She seemed very sure of herself but also had an unspoken sense of vulnerability about her. Maybe it was the church where she was unaccustomed to being or maybe it was just me trying to kill time between the readings and the sermon.Whatever it was, I was intrigued. I vowed to talk to her after the service since she was obviously new there. It is kind of an unwritten rule that regular church-goers are supposed to welcome any newcomers who might attend a service. I was more than willing to assume that responsibility with her.
It was just a little later when I learned who the mystery woman was. Every week my church has an adult education forum after the service and this week, a woman from Hospice was going to speak about the services and products Hospice has to offer. The woman’s name was Mary and oddly enough, she was sitting two pews in front of me. I didn’t have time to introduce myself to her after the service as she was quick to go downstairs and prepare for her presentation. I wasn’t planning to attend but thought, “Why not?” After all, I was only going to Wegman’s for groceries after church and I could do that any time.
So I went downstairs and waited for Mary to begin. My friend Liz from church sat next to me and said,”Well aren’t you a brave one?” as she sat down. I hadn’t really thought of it as being brave but I guess in a way that’s what it was. I was more than familiar with Hospice having experienced their abilities with both my mother and Coleen during the past six months. I was drawn to the forum because I thought it would fit with what is becoming a desire of mine to put myself in positions to meet new people and learn new things. This was a perfect situation for those criteria.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out why Mary was so noticeable. She was very energetic, confident and passionate about her subject matter. She spoke like she owned the concepts and she immediately had everyone’s attention and before long, their participation. Mary presented information about Hospice that I already knew but she also talked about another Hospice feature I was not aware of. Something called Supportive Medical Partners which helps people that have terminal diagnosis but are still far removed from end of life therapies. I was very intrigued by that concept and talked to her about it after the forum. I thought the women from Coleen’s metastatic support group might want to know about this program and talked to Mary about communicating to different groups and audiences. She agreed and asked me for one of my cards so she could get in touch with me and work something out for other presentations.
One of my cards. Naturally, I didn’t have one with me. But I did have some in my car and anxiously ran out to get one. I was so excited that someone asked me for a card, I wasn’t going to let the opportunity to hand one out get away from me. Mary and I exchanged cards and she seemed genuinely enthused to meet me as I was to meet her. Maybe I can help her get more interest in her program. Maybe she can help me get more connected. I feel on the verge of greater connectivity and I want that.
My instincts seem to be getting sharper. I knew there was something about Mary that caught my attention. And I felt strongly about staying late for that forum, too. More whispers? Maybe. I’m listening.
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