BY admin IN Client Stories On 17-09-2014

“Hello…hello… Is this Meals on Wheels?”

“Oh good.”

“I just have to tell you I love your soup! I love your soup!”

“I used to have to stand all day to make such soup…all the chopping… How do you do it? Did you know I’m 89 years old? It will be my birthday soon. I can’t do that anymore. Only in Canada you know…”

I’m already chuckling to myself on the other end of the phone as I listen to accolades pouring out in a rich Dutch accent, voice pitched a little higher to compensate for hearing loss. It’s the end of a long day at our Meals on Wheels office and it feels good to take a minute to listen to a cheerful voice.

“I’ve been married 68 years. We came to Canada 56 years ago. Such a wonderful country. You volunteers are like medication to me, you make me feel better. Only in Canada you know…”

She goes on to tell me about her children and how successful they are, how she and her husband still live in their own apartment, and I feel like I’m the one who’s been handed a gift – the gift of her gratefulness for little things like a good bowl of soup. She speaks with such enthusiasm and sincerity that I feel sure I’m the first one she has told this story to. And the smile that started on my face has spread through me like the warmth of a summer day.

As I walk out the door today with my fellow co-workers I ask if anyone has spoken with this client before. Smiles spread infectiously around me…it would appear I’m not the first one to hear that sweet voice. And I wonder to myself if she knows that while we deliver her a hot meal, the warmth she delivers lasts a lot longer.

10 years ago / Comments Off on A Hearty Bowl of Soup!