The answer to a stressful day!

I had a rather stressful day at work. The day started out wonderfully. One of my dearest platelet donors was asked to come in to the center today and be interviewed by the local CBS station because they consider her a hero (and she is!). She has donated 171 units of blood over the past 8 years and they wanted to ask what motivates her, how often she donates, how she got started donating. She was very nervous about being on camera....you see....because she is shy. Her shyness quickly faded away when she began answering the reporter's questions. She is passionate about sharing the gift of life. She is a cancer survivor. Her husband received 7 pints of blood last year due to a bleeding ulcer. She donates every 2 weeks and each time she prays for the unknown people she is helping....that her precious gift will make them feel better, feel stronger, live longer and she prays for their families as well. I stood there today smilingly looking at and admiring this amazing woman. As she spoke I got chills. She lost her husband of 52 years a little over a month ago. It is difficult for me to write this without tears spilling down my cheeks. I knew her husband too. He would drop her off at the center, find out how long she would be on the machine, say goodbye, kiss her and be back to pick her up before she was finished......always with a big hug for me and often times delivering delicious baked goods (they owned a bakery in NY and on the island of St. Thomas). They are Frank and Marleen and I love them. They had a marriage that was truly special. Not long after he passed, Marleen and I were talking and I asked her what their secret was. She said that they were married in Holland and several days later immigrated to NYC. They had no money and did not know anyone and so they relied on each other for everything. I consider myself a recipient of Marleen's generosity. Although I have not received her blood.....I have been the recipient of her goodness and her friendship....her smiles and laughter....her memories of Frank, and the last of the almond cookies that Frank baked! She knows how much I love his almond cookies! She IS my hero too and thinking about the goodness she shares with the world is my answer to a stressful day!