People Care

I'm not really sure how much my appearance has changed as things got worse.

I know I lost a significant amount of weight, but otherwise, I don't really know how I appeared to others.

It must have been "not normal." Whatever that may mean.

This past Sunday, my family was the greeters for church. I stood at the end of the line, and it amazed me how many people remarked,

"You look so much better than you did at Thanksgiving, Dylan."

I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. I think I said "Thank you, I am getting better." Or something along those lines.

At any rate, these people barely saw me over Thanksgiving, and hadn't seen me since. And they noticed a difference in my appearance. If even they noticed I looked different, I wonder what people like classmates and friends thought I looked like seeing me every day.

The greeting experience made me realize something, too. That the voices inside my head that are saying "People don't care about you." Are totally false. Many, many people who came through into church on Sunday stopped and asked how I was feeling. And then would make the comment about my appearance being so much better, too.

Some knew a lot of details of the situation; others only knew very little. Some I knew very well; others were just people I knew as fellow members of my congregation. Either way, many asked. May cared enough to stop and inquire how I was doing.

So many, in fact, that the line coming into church became blocked up at times because people were talking so much to me.

What I guess my point is, I realize now that people really do sincerely care. And it means a lot to me. I felt so good coming out of church because all of the messages that this illness were telling me were totally smashed.

And I guess I am coming to be thankful for being a member of the community of believers- the body of Christ. Because people really do fulfill their roles in building one another up.