Thankful Thursday: And She Changed Me

Happy Thursday y'all!

Today I want to tell you about a person that I met for one hour.

And completely changed the way I think.

Even still today.

For those of you who don't know, I'm a massage therapist.

A year and a half ago I was working doing massage in a chiropractors office.

And that's when I got the call.

The chiropractor I worked for had a client that came in and knew someone who was in their last weeks of fighting terminal cancer.

One thing she had always wanted to do was get a massage.

I agreed.

I wasn't given much information.

Just a name.

A phone number.

An address.

I walked in the house and was eagerly greeted by family who helped me get set up.

When I went into the room to do the massage, I met Jenni.

A girl who was frail and looked about 10 years old.

I was devastated.

I had assumed in my lack of knowledge about my client that she was older.

I began the massage.

Really it wasn't that.

It was very gentle, and I tried to be as soothing as I could.

I didn't want to cause her any pain.

Her breaths were ragged.

We tried to make simple conversation.

Dancing around the obvious.

As I continued the massage, I started to look around her room.

She had pictures up everywhere.

Pictures with family.

Pictures with friends.

Pictures with her boyfriend.

And that's when I realized:

Jenni is my age.

And suddenly I felt fortunate.

And suddenly I was grateful.

And suddenly I was thankful.

And suddenly I was sad.

Why her?

When it could have just as easily been me.

And the loads of homework I had waiting for me that night didn't matter anymore.

Because I was blessed to be going to school and getting my education.

And the wedding planning stress faded away.

Because I was lucky enough to have found the man of my dreams and blessed to be getting married.

And the million other little things that I loved to complain about didn't matter anymore.

Because I was healthy.

And I was alive.

After the massage had ended I placed my hand on Jenni's back

and told her that it had been my pleasure to meet her and to do that for her.

And then I left.

Not even a week later Jenni passed away.

And I was heartbroken.

Soon after that I spoke with the client that knew her and that had requested a massage therapist to be sent.

He said that he had spent a lot of time talking and praying with Jenni throughout her struggle with cancer.

She had hoped that if nothing else, she could make a difference and touch as many people's lives as she could.

I sincerely believe that out of all the therapist that could have been that day, God wanted me to go.

Because He knew that I needed to experience the lessons that Jenni could teach me that day.

Because she made a difference in my life.

And she changed me.

And I'm thankful.

What are you thankful for today?