Client Reminders

Every now and then I have clients that teach me something. Their stories remain with me long after I've forgotten their names.

Like the woman who suffered severely from anxiety due to a traumatic past, but showed up with her loving husband in their Sunday best. Her anxiety was so great she panicked like a child the moment she entered the hearing room and could only be consoled by the presence of her faithful, hard-working husband. The sincere love and concern this man had for his wife and his watchful care over her despite her debilitating condition and inability to give equally in their marriage continues to impress me.

Then there was the middle-aged man whose income most years exceeded mine but because of his line of work and a leave of absence to take care of a terminally ill father was left without any medical coverage in his time of need. He was a former athlete, who at one point even ran the Pikes Peak Marathon (!), and was now struck with terminal cancer and drowning in medical debt. This once strong and very capable man broke down in sobs after his hearing and paid no attention to my outstretched hand as he enveloped me in the strongest hug I have yet to receive from a client.

This week I had another such story. I was returning from a short vacation and ready to dive into a day packed with hearings. I was feeling the post-vacation blues and, for some reason, a bit of the "woe is me"s and I was happy to be "anxiously engaged" and mentally occupied.

My client was a young man in his early twenties but due to several serious medical conditions he was left with a body that was underweight and mangled and in excruciating pain. I had to physically assist him into the hearing room. Little testimony was taken as his poor body spoke volumes. As I helped this man back to his loved ones, I was struck with the very timely lessons that are sometimes given to us. The stark reminders that while life is never perfect, there are certainly things to be grateful for. I felt a bit of the love our Savior must have for these tender souls with their disfigured bodies. I was reminded that while on the Earth, He blessed and healed bodies like my client's and at times even wept. Though my body is strong and capable, I was reminded that, while not physically on the Earth, He still has power to heal my heart.

Immediately following this hearing, I had another client, a one year old, who due to incidents at birth was left with a similarly mangled body. Although unable to effectively use his right side, he was free from pain, and was all smiles. He was able to show us his disfigured high five and, though only one, legitimately winked at me several times throughout the hearing. The ladies better watch out when he grows up. His smiles despite his physical limitations continued to teach me the lesson I needed this week.

So today, I am grateful. I am grateful to have a working, functioning body that allows me to get up everyday and earn a living. I'm grateful to have a job with medical coverage, flexibility, and the opportunity to travel. I am grateful for a family legacy of education, healthy living, independence, hard work, and Christian values. I am grateful to know there is a Savior of the world who atoned for our sorrows, heartaches, loneliness, and physical ailments. I am grateful to know that through His atonement we can all be made whole, whether in this life or in the next, physically as well as emotionally. I am grateful to know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows us and who blesses us with timely reminders and lessons tailored specifically to our needs in our time of need. And I am grateful to my clients, for teaching me so powerfully.

Angel Agents

Fine. Lesson learned. When forced to make a decision between driving to Monroe, Louisiana or flying with a connection, I will now drive. Always.

My flight from Houston to Monroe had me stopping at DFW for a quick one hour layover. When it was announced our flight out of Houston would be delayed an hour, I thought, well there goes my connection. I spoke with the agent in Houston who didn't seem to think it would be much of a problem as we would probably make up some time in the air. Ok, I thought, I'll pray for a miracle then. Sure enough our plane lingered on the runway and when we landed at DFW my flight to Monroe had already left. Cool. Not really.

I was now forced to make a decision. There were no more flights to small town Monroe that night and there were none early enough in the morning for me to make it to my hearings. Do I now drive the four hours to Monroe? I had a hotel waiting there and my clients had been waiting three months for their hearing date. Or do I forget the whole thing, I tried after all, call my clients, and find a hotel in Dallas for the night? I opted for the path of least resistance and decided to suck it up and drive to Monroe. It was going to be a late night.

This brings me to my first angel agent.

John

I'm not sure if the United agent at DFW that helped me was in fact named John, but, given the other two agents in this story, it had to have been.

I explained to John in a pleasant but fatigued and isn't-tonight-going-to-be-fun sort of way about my predicament.  Because there were no other flights to choose from, he kindly processed a refund for the flight I had missed. In addition, he decided to take pity on a lonely, destitute female who would now have to make her way to a "foreign" land in the dead of night and gave me, wait for it, a $100 voucher to be used on any United flight within the next year! I'll take it!

John was a saint and I'm not sure I adequately thanked him enough for going above and beyond.

Peter

Yes, the rental car agent was in fact named Peter. I'm not sure he was really an angel agent. More like a tempter agent, but we'll call him an angel for getting me a one-way car rental and for keeping me awake my first hour of driving. I'll explain.

Pete was a great listener. He heard my sad little tale along with the over sharings that usually come out of my mouth in times of stress. Something I over shared must have elicited the following comment.

"I don't understand why women think, if they're not all done up, they're ugly." He slowly shook his head. Was this an indirect compliment or just a reflection on my gender as a whole? I couldn't tell.

But then, knowing I was headed through Shreveport, he offered, "If it was the weekend, I'd take you to the casino."

Now we're talking. If this were a movie, we would now cut to visions of me and Petey headed east in a rented convertible, my hair and scarf flapping in the wind, hands high in the air, shades on, red lips smiling, and both of us gleefully anticipating drowning in coins and poker chips with our new found love interest. But it wasn't the weekend, it was a Wednesday. And my health and safety remained in tact.

But it was these visions (and a chocolate shake, phone call, and music) that kept me awake as I started my four hour drive at 10:00 at night.

James

So yes, my angel agents were Peter, James and well, maybe John.

I did safely arrive into Monroe and made it to my hearings the next morning. For some reason I was booked on a late afternoon return flight. When it was announced that the flight out of Monroe was delayed an hour and that once again I would miss my connection in Dallas, I tried my best to hold it together. But after only four hours of sleep, I was deteriorating fast.

This is when the stars aligned and I met James. Sweet, blessed James. James did the impossible. He transferred my American Airlines ticket to a United flight. The United flight boarded in just twenty minutes. It was a direct flight into Houston. I would arrive three hours ahead of schedule. I got a window seat and an aisle seat. I got to land in Terminal B. I, therefore, got to restock on a much needed supply of chocolate covered gummy bears for a friend and I. I got to go to bed early. This was a miracle.

John was generous. Pete was fun. But James, you did the impossible. You have my heart.