Last Saturday evening I went to a cancer benefit with my sister Linda. It was to raise funds for the Pacific Shores Oncology Foundation. Since they are my oncologists I was happy to go to the benefit and see some of my doctors and favorite people from the office. We checked out the silent auction items and Linda bid on a lovely necklace. They ended the auction as we were still standing there so Linda knew that she was the winner of the necklace. She paid for the necklace and put it on immediately. After that we got some food and a drink, which we took over to a comfortable couch to enjoy.
While we were eating I was approached by a man who quietly asked if I had cancer. Well, since we were at a cancer benefit, my hair is only about 1/8th of an inch long and I had been walking with a noticeable limp I can see why he made his assumption! I said yes and he told us that his wife had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. She was to have come to the benefit with him but couldn’t make it because she had recently started her chemo and wasn’t feeling well. This husband, father of three was obviously trying his best to reach out, find comfort. He looked so sweet, sad and dazed. Linda and I promptly scooched over and made room for him. We told him my story and found out more details of his wife’s illness. We talked about how hard it all is, how to help the children understand and not be afraid, even though we are terrified ourselves. He asked questions and we answered honestly but optimistically. We stressed to him that they will get through this, even though of course, we don’t know for sure. But none of us know for sure, do we? Sometimes all we can do is encourage, commiserate and be there for each other.
About then, the lady from the silent auction came up to Linda and said that there had been a mistake. There was another bidder after Linda and he was the winner of the auction. She showed us the sheet of paper with the bids on it and sure enough there was a man’s name after Linda. Linda explained that she was surely the final bidder because we were right there when the auction ended. It was a bit of a stalemate with the grumpy man saying that he was the final bidder. Linda didn’t want to cause a fuss so she took off the necklace and handed it to the auction lady. She asked Linda for her credit card again so that she could credit her account with the money for the necklace. Linda graciously told her to donate the money to the Foundation.
Linda was calm on the outside but I could see she was steamed that she had been sniped on her auction. We knew the truth of the matter but certainly didn’t want to duke it out at a lovely charity benefit! So we continued to talk with the kind man about his wife’s sickness. About 15 minutes later we were again interrupted by the auction lady. She had the grumpy man’s wife with her who said that she had been told that there was a question as to whom the winning bidder actually was and that they didn’t want the necklace after all. Linda thanked her and took the necklace back again and they left. Linda started to put it on but stopped and looked at me. We had a moment of sisterly telepathy and I nodded my head at her. Linda reached over and took the kind man’s hand and poured the necklace in and closed his hand over it saying, “Give this to your wife so she will have something pretty during these dark days.”
We all teared up and he protested that he couldn’t accept it. We told him that he must. It was ours and then it was not, and then it came back to Linda for a reason. Tears were in all of our eyes as we shared this special moment of giving and receiving, showing us what this benefit was all about. Later I told Linda how proud I was of her for knowing instantly what to do and then doing it just right. She told me that she has many necklaces but will always remember the one she let go to where it really belonged. Our hearts go out to the kind man and his wife. May she wear the necklace in good health for many years to come.
~Ema
