Healthcare Raw Podcast

How much effort does it take to be nice? Here is an experience that I had with my grandfather when he first got sick. It was an unfortunate situation: newly diagnosed with bladder cancer, too old for surgery or chemo (he had emphysema although he had never smoked.)  At the time of this story he had just been diagnosed and was newly admitted. He was still positive, talkative.  While we were talking a young man walked into the room to empty the trash. Zaidy- as we called him- interrupted our conversation, looked over at the worker, and asked him his name. At first the guy was taken aback. He had that look of "what have I done wrong?" But Zaidy asked him again, "What's your name?" "John," he meekly replied. "Well, John, thank you very much," Zaidy told him and John's face instantly brightened. He finished with the trash, bid Zaidy farewell, and with a "Have a good day," was gone.  Then Zaidy looked at me. "How difficult was that?" Zaidy asked. "How difficult is it to be nice?" A story that has nev