My Octogenarian Hero (August 3, 2003)

Some time ago I paid a hospital visit to one of my heroes, 86-year-old Vivian Cabatari. Vivian's arms were all black and blue from the hypodermic needles that a nurse had plunged into her in vain attempts to find veins. But Vivian wasn't complaining. In fact, she told me that she felt sorry for the nurse, and after two failed attempts to draw blood Vivian said, "Third time's a charm! Try again." The nurse offered to get somebody else to do it, but Vivian said no. She told me she wanted to encourage the young woman, and "not have it go on her record that she couldn't manage a needle."

When I hear something like that I know that I am in the presence of greatness. If I ever get old, I want to be like Vivian Cabatari. I want to have grace to pity well-meaning interns 60 years my junior who can't find my veins, and utter not a word of complaint lest it make them feel bad. I want to work hard to suppress a cough at night (as Vivian did) lest it disturb the patient in the bed next to me. Long after I can no longer preach from Philippians 2:4 (“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others"), I hope to God I can live it like Vivian.

And I hope I'll be able to laugh at myself the way she does. Vivian gleefully told me how she tried to get down three pills that a nurse gave her even though she had some chewing gum in her mouth. She tucked the chewing gum behind a molar and managed to swallow two pills, but the third got lodged in the gum and dissolved into it. That pill made the gum "bitter as gall," she said, “But I chewed and chewed on it in order to get the full benefit.”

It so happens that chewing medicinal gum is a good metaphor for Vivian’s life. She has suffered some truly awful things through her eight and a half decades. But somehow she emerged from her trials not as a bitter old hag but as a winsome saint who inspires those around her to be better people. She has trusted God and calmly chewed the gall of life's heartaches in order to get full benefit from them. Praise God Almighty for delightful souls who do that as well as Vivian Cabatari.