That's My Man
One of the best feelings is when someone you love steps outside of their comfort zone and allows themselves to be celebrated for something they work hard on.
My husband is a shy guy, hates being in the spotlight, and pushes others forward when he should be getting the kudos.
He is also a super hard worker and is just a really solid dude. It is usually those guys though that aren't thanked for all that they do, and because they don't toot their own horns, it is rare that anyone recognizes their contributions. In fact, these are the people that wind up being taken for granted and burned out.
The charity we volunteer with has an ultimate goal. That goal is to get kids with certain disabilities, burns, and a few other issues free healthcare, no matter what kind of insurance coverage their family has. My husband has kind of a unique position within the charity. He is what is known as the hospital chairman. It's a fancy title for being the guy who helps the families by setting up all of their travel and accommodations when they travel to our hospitals.
For the most part, it is a rewarding role within the charity that allows him to really see the impact that all the fundraising and time spent working on all the various tasks needed is worth it in the end. There are also some rougher parts. Other members of the charity are always overstepping boundaries. Promising things that he then has to work to deliver. Sometimes he has to say no when another member has told a patient or their family that no, we can't pay for the whole family, just one child, and their parent. No, we can't fly the patient and one family member to another city to have a little vacation before their treatment.
The wins far outshine the more difficult parts though. Through this group, kids get to walk again, get to play again, and get to be kids again. My husband loves those parts. But, he forgets that he needs to be in the spotlight sometimes, to not allow the others who love the attention to stand in front of him and talk about the things he does. And to allow others to say thank you. And to show people just how special he is, and how important what he does is.
He took a big step this weekend though, he went out into the public eye and along with the current head of our charity (it's kind of a complicated thing to explain, but the "president" of our chapter is an annual appointment) and most importantly one of our hospital ambassadors, he dropped the puck at centre ice before a hockey game. What a truly Canadian moment.
I am always proud of my husband, but yesterday made me proud of him in yet another way. Seeing a crowd and other members of our organization applaud him so that for once, our family wasn't the only one cheering him on. I hope that for him, even if it was only for those few minutes he was proud of himself, and he saw the impact that he makes.
And he didn't even fall on the ice.
Shopping Corner
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