we are family

Thelma is one on my clients. I use the term “client” loosely because she is eighty years old and on a fixed income. Twice a week she will hop in on someone’s session. On Monday she came to the gym and put her jacket in a locker (unlocked). When she got home she discovered that her driver’s license and money were missing from the jacket. It could have been stolen, but it just as easily could have fallen out of her pocket somewhere. That is not the point. 

The incident was brought to my attention on Tuesday morning. My first reaction was to reach out to all of my clients. If we each chipped in $5 we could give Thelma a gift card to ShopRite, which is where she intended on spending the money that day. The response was overwhelming. I have collected double the amount that she lost. 

For the past two months, I have struggled greatly with the concept of family. On Tuesday, the way in which I define that word became abundantly clear.