Who is Your Joe?

A few weeks ago, I was feeling very overwhelmed. I stayed after school for a club and I was thinking about the fact that I had four quizzes the following day, plus I had soccer practice at night, which meant I would be getting home around 10:00 p.m. As I was feeling sorry for myself, I noticed a boy, who I will call Joe. Joe doesn’t know it, but he is sort of an angel in my life. He has a way of showing up and fixing my attitude when it needs an adjustment. So, as I watched Joe’s dad help Joe get into the car and fold up his wheelchair, I said a prayer for Joe and thanked God for the lesson on gratitude.

A couple years ago, a bone tumor left me out of school for months and sports for a year. Joe deals with far far worse, but in a way, I could relate to the frustration that comes with being a kid who can’t do what everyone else is doing. So, I decided I would put my fear of rejection aside and reach out to his mom. We made a plan for me to visit him over the weekend. I brought nut free ingredients for us to bake and some paper and colored pencils to draw. Even though I never hung out with Joe, I knew he loved art.

I was excited but also nervous as I walked up to his door. However, I quickly learned that my worries were a waste. Joe and I had a great time. We talked, laughed, baked, and colored. I left feeling happy that I had made a new friend and grateful for the time we spent together. Joe was again that angel reminding me, “It is in the giving that we receive”.

Who is your Joe?