I Knew You’d Want to Know

Cleaning up old files, I ran across this today, written four or five years ago. In the midst of a world that is being crushed by distrust and violence, it seems to me that we need to be reminded of the value of humanity. The following occurrence, which was between two total strangers, is just such a reminder:

Last week, on a bluebird Tahoe day, I went skiing. I’m retired and can do such a thing. Recent snowstorms had provided an excellent base across the mountain, and I thoroughly enjoyed the long, groomed runs that I prefer. The slopes were stunningly uncrowded. What a joy.

No crowds meant no lift lines and no particular reason to slow down, which also meant I was ready for a mid-morning break. There were two of us on the deck of Snowflake Lodge: a fellow about my age, who nodded cordially then sat quietly, and I, both of us basking in the always-astounding view of Lake Tahoe. 

We were enjoying our separate quiet spaces, when his cell phone rang, and he answered. While the deck was hardly private and we were seated not far from each other, I made a point of not listening to his conversation, though I noticed the tone was upbeat. Closing the call, he came over to me and said, “That was my sister. She was just told that her cancer is in remission. I knew you’d want to know.”

If this fellow and I had ever seen each other before, neither of us was aware of the fact. I have no idea who he was. But he was correct, his news, his sister in North Carolina’s news, was absolutely something I was thrilled to hear. He had something big he needed to share, and I was the lucky person with whom he shared it.

There is power in good news, even among strangers. There are concerns and fears that we all share in some form or another. Similarly, there are joys and unexpected gifts. There was more in the moment than a brother celebrating out loud. He didn’t tell me he had great news he just had to voice. He said, with certainty, that he knew I would want to know. He was so right. What a gift on a bluebird Tahoe day. May his sister live for many years to come.