KINDNESS

SEE the BEAUTY in UNEXPECTED THINGS

Yesterday I choked on a fishbone. It was something that I never thought would happen, because I learned to eat fish from a young age.

Since childhood, I was really close to my brother. We often went fishing together and only ate fish. I was trained in the habit of eating fish, even though the bones are small, I never got choked by the bones. And if there was a time when I swallowed a bone, then after swallowing the rice, the bones would also float out. I always felt confident that I would never get choked by fish bones.

But yesterday, unexpectedly I got choked by a fish bone. I drank a lot of water, the bone did not float out. I was in pain.

I thought it would be better after a night’s sleep. This morning, I woke up, I felt even more pain. I went running around the lake as on other days, but I also felt the pain anytime I breathed in. I stopped by the place where I used to buy lemons. I told the shop's owner about the bone. She kindly asked me if I needed any help and told me, “Take a vitamin C tablet, let the bone dissolve.” Then she also showed me where to go to take the bone out if that trick did not work.

The saleswoman next door heard the story and told me to, “Roll the sticky rice ball and swallow it to see if the bones would float out.” She said, “If it doesn't work, go pick it up immediately, avoid it for a long time, it will turn into damage to your throat”.

I felt a great feeling, being cared for by strangers. When the unexpected happens, we witness the beauty – everyone's kindness.

None of these tricks helped the bone drift into the throat. I decided to go and get medical treatment. Most places were closed. I went to the hospital where I certainly didn't expect to be.

Every weekend, I used to play badminton and I passed by Thu Cuc hospital, a hospital with good service, but because it's a hospital, seeing people queuing and wearing protective suits, I say to myself – I don't want to go in. When I was a kid, being hospitalized in an accident and seeing my loved ones hospitalized, made me dislike hospitals - I told myself in my head.

This time, I really had to go to a place which I think I don't like.

I went in, got tested for Covid-19, and then went to see the doctor, everything went quickly and smoothly.

I walked into the room, the doctor asked in a kindly voice, “How do you feel? What fish did you eat, and after you choked, where does it hurt?”

I recounted how I never thought I would choke on a bone, and here I am.

The doctor smiled gently, “With everything in life, we get a chance to try it one time, don't we?”

Gently, thoughtfully, the fishbone was slowly removed.

While waiting for the doctor to complete the file, I sat down on my computer to write this story, with relief in my heart. There are things that are not as 'nice' as we like to think. And there are unexpected things that happen. But, if we are in an accepting and grateful attitude, we can experience meaningful things.

Have a wonderful week, not matter what unexpected things happen, you can choose to witness beauty.

#day23 #extraordinary2022withjen #happyhighperformancehabits #jencoaching