Everyone Has A Story

 This week has flown by and I feel like I'm playing a bit of catch up! I've been back to work for a few weeks and things are going pretty good. I won't lie, I am fairly tired at the end of a work day! It feels good to be back in the saddle of the OR.  We do have some new faces...nurses and doctors.  I see a few bouts of negativity that kind of surprised me but I try to just ignore it, do my job, and head home! I'm only working 2 or 3 days so it's easy to do to leave it all at the hospital!  On a sad note, one of the hospital employees passed away yesterday.  Mark worked in housekeeping at night.  He was a hard worker and will be missed.  Lots of folks didn't really know him except when someone would say, "You know Mark, he's the scary looking guy that works nights."  Jack and I have known Mark for many years.  Even before he worked at the hospital.  Yes, Mark would not be the guy wearing a suit or anything fancy. He was on the scraggly side with longish hair.  When he got the hospital job he was actually living in his car until he could afford a place to live.  He eventually got a house and lived with his brother who was disabled and Mark took care of him.  I know he had grandkids because he was always excited to show me pictures of them when I was headed into work in the mornings.   Years ago the hospital started giving employees a certificate to get a ham or a turkey for the holidays at a local grocery store.  The first year they did this Mark stood waiting at the CEO's office door to thank him because that year he wouldn't have had the money for that food.  I'm sure not many stopped to thank the hospital for this.  My first day back at work I noticed a lot of fruit and veggies on a table in our break room. They said Mark left them for anyone who wanted them. He volunteered at the food bank and sometimes there would be left overs and he would bring things to work so others could have it and it wouldn't get wasted.  When my friend Donna was working she gave Mark a little recognition that the hospital had for employees who did something extra special.  She said she was coming into work and not feeling very good. As she headed for the elevator Mark passed by, stopped and gave her a big smile and a hello. She said she immediately smiled back and her whole attitude changed for the better with that simple act of a smile. Mark left work early on Tuesday night and as he was heading home his truck broke down.  He got out of the truck only to be hit by another truck.  The other driver never stopped. He was taken to a hospital where he died.  I know there's probably a lot more about Mark that we don't know about. I always say everyone has a story. This is what I do know. You can't always tell about somebody by how they look but you sure can by how they act. Kindness is easy and Mark knew how to be kind.  I hope they find the person who hit him and didn't even have the guts to stop.  He deserved better than that. RIP Mark.