The Young Boy at Costco

My wife and I made our usual Saturday pilgrimage to Costco to buy pallets of toilet paper, cases of drinks, and a jar of mayonnaise big enough for everyone in an island nation to have a sandwich. I personally enjoy the free samples which if you come at that right time of the day can hold you over until dinner. I just finished trying every sample in the store, which to me indicates that shopping is officially over.  We took our giant shopping cart with our giant food to the giant conveyor belt so the giant lady could check us out....wait, she was normally proportioned, my bad. She asked me how I was doing today. It was okay for her to ask me. She was not a health professional (check out my first blog for an explanation). My wife and I both said fine, asked her how she was, she gave us that look of someone who has to ring up gigantic food items on a Saturday, but shot a smile and said fine. After she rang up the last food item, she asked us if we would like to donate a dollar to Children's Miracle Network. After we made our donation, she gave us the little thank you paper, we put or names on it, and felt good about our small but good deed.

Our cart was loaded and looked like the sled the Grinch had after he stole all the toys from Whoville. We pushed it about ten feet when a woman blocking our way with a box in her hand asked us if we would like to donate 3 dollars to Children's Miracle Network for the last rubber bracelet she had. I started to tell her we just gave and before I could finish my sentence she said, "I have one bracelet left and he's on 2 types of  chemo." I thought who is she talking about? When I looked on the other side of the cart, I saw a small child about 5 or 6 years old in a stroller. My heart sank as I looked at him. He was a small boy, undersized for his age. His face was drawn and haggard by the cancer and the drugs. He had many tubes in his body. In an instant I could feel my lip quiver. It felt like a hammer hit me in the chest! I crouched down to his level. I remember saying, "hey buddy" and trying to smile. He reached his small hand out to me and as I started to reach out to him, I could see tubes in his arm. I pulled my hand back, scared I might hurt him or a tube might come loose. The woman said thank you and gave Darla the bracelet. I stood up and waved goodbye to him and pushed our cart. I looked over at Darla and I could see the tears well  up. I said, "that was heartbreaking." She nodded and said he had pretty green eyes.  He did.

Parkinson's is something I am aware of every waking moment of the day, but for several minutes I was totally unaware of my PD. I could only think, "I can't help him." As a personal trainer, trying to help people is what I do and feeling totally useless is something that doesn't usually happen. We loaded up the car and I told my wife no matter how bad I get, I have had a great life, a great mom and grandmother who raised me, two wonderful brothers, and a host of friends that are like family to me. I have been married 30 years to one of the greatest women on this planet.  I have two children who have been nothing but a joy, and a wonderful soon to be daughter-in-law. My dad and I talk now on a weekly basis instead of just on holidays. I could go on forever, but I have been truly blessed. Will my small friend ever have the opportunities I have had? I think that's what bothered  me most  of all, that he might not have that chance. 

Let me ask everyone something If it all ended right now, did you appreciate your life? I am not talking just the good times. I'm talking about cherishing every  low, every heartbreak, all the tears shed, all the moments that you thought did not go your way, did you  actually stop to think I am alive and privileged that I get to experience all those things that give life meaning? Because all those moments we experienced allowed us to live life. We needed them so all the joyful moments could have value. I have been blessed that I have lived life. My PD is not important. How I live with it is! Live life with gratitude.  If I had the power, I wish I could give that sick boy the gift of heartbreak, laughter, disappointment, the love of a wife, failure, successes and most of all a chance to grow up and cherish all of life like I have.....I wish I would have held his hand.

I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.