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This is a post from MSNBC by Sue Lawrence:
I am not normally one to say much politically, and I am getting really tired of the vicious attacks, name-calling and hatred in this campaign, on both sides. It is degrading for all. However, I have a true story that I want to share, about Hillary Clinton. I know this story for a fact because I was personally involved to a small degree. All I am hoping by telling this story is that people remember what we hear about politicians and celebrities is often not true, or is extremely biased.
These people are much more than what we think we know.
This story happened when Hillary Clinton was the First Lady. And, I have to say, I was not a big fan of hers at that time. I viewed her as a very stand-offish, arrogant, cold woman, as the media often portrayed her.
I was the managing veterinarian at a veterinary hospital in Anderson, Calif., in the mid 1990s. One of our neighbors, Jackie, was a sweet middle-aged woman who literally lived in a single small room next-door to our clinic. It was a rundown building with a few businesses in it, and she rented one room because it was inexpensive and because her abusive ex-husband would not find her living there, she hoped.
After meeting her and learning of her struggles to get by with no job and no car, we offered her a job watching our building at night and taking care of the landscaping at the hospital. She did well, but after a few years she came to me extremely upset because she had just learned that her 28-year-old son, who was career military, had just been diagnosed with an extremely aggressive bone cancer over his shoulder. He was in a VA hospital in Virginia, dying, and she was desperate to go and see him. Of course we let her have as much time off as she needed.
Jackie was gone for about a month, spending as much time as possible with her son, John. When she returned she told me what happened.
When Jackie got back to Virginia she spent as much time as possible at the hospital with her son. She tried to give him things to do and look forward to, which is very difficult when you are dying a painful death. In their conversation one day, Jackie asked John, “If you could do anything, what would you want to do?” To her amazement, he replied, “You know what I would like most is to meet the First Lady, Hillary Clinton. She seems like an amazing person. I would love to just talk to her.”
Jackie was stunned. But this was her son, and if he wanted to meet Hillary Clinton as his last wish, she would try to arrange it. She looked up the phone number for the White House, called and asked for Mrs. Clinton. Of course, she wasn’t put through to her. She wrote her a letter, explaining about her son and mailed it to the White House. She later received a call from Mrs. Clinton’s secretary. The woman told Jackie that Mrs. Clinton had read the letter about John and his wish to meet her. Mrs. Clinton would be there later that week, she said, as soon as it could be arranged.
A few days later, John’s hospital floor was cleared of people, the secret service arrived … and so did Hillary Clinton. She spent several hours just sitting and talking with John, a young man she had never met. As Mrs. Clinton was leaving the hospital, she passed by Jackie in the hall and told her what a wonderful son she had and how she wished she could have done more for him. She handed Jackie her business card and said “If you ever need anything, please call.” Afterwards, John told Jackie that Mrs. Clinton was funny, brilliant and an absolutely amazing person. His meeting with her was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He died within the week.
John was single, so Jackie was left dealing with his estate. Since John was only 28 years old there wasn’t a lot, but he had a car that had been very special to him, a bit of furniture and some photos. When Jackie spoke with the military about getting it shipped to her in California they said there was no way they could do it for at least six months. She would have to pay for storage until then. She didn’t have the money to do that. She looked at the card in her pocket … and called the White House. The next day she had a phone call from the military telling her that her son’s possessions would be delivered to her in California within the next 10 days.
Jackie was excited when the moving van pulled up and they began unloading her son’s belongings. The moving van driver pulled her aside and told her that she might want to hold on to the order slip for the moving van company. He said, look at what is written on it.
It said, “To be moved immediately, handle with care. Personal friend of Hillary Clinton.”
I am telling this now to ask that we all please remember: Just because something is on “the news” does not necessarily make it true. There are many things we do not know about these people. We see what the media and social media feeds us, we get bombarded with it and it becomes true in our minds.
More than 20 years ago, through personal experience, my impression of Hillary Clinton was changed. I will never forget what she did for my friend and her dying son. Mrs. Clinton came with no press, no photographer and no ulterior motives but to help grant a young dying man from our military his last wish.
That is true kindness and caring.
I am not normally one to say much politically, and I am getting really tired of the vicious attacks, name-calling and hatred in this campaign, on both sides. It is degrading for all. However, I have a true story that I want to share, about Hillary Clinton. I know this story for a fact because I was personally involved to a small degree. All I am hoping by telling this story is that people remember what we hear about politicians and celebrities is often not true, or is extremely biased.
These people are much more than what we think we know.
This story happened when Hillary Clinton was the First Lady. And, I have to say, I was not a big fan of hers at that time. I viewed her as a very stand-offish, arrogant, cold woman, as the media often portrayed her.
I was the managing veterinarian at a veterinary hospital in Anderson, Calif., in the mid 1990s. One of our neighbors, Jackie, was a sweet middle-aged woman who literally lived in a single small room next-door to our clinic. It was a rundown building with a few businesses in it, and she rented one room because it was inexpensive and because her abusive ex-husband would not find her living there, she hoped.
After meeting her and learning of her struggles to get by with no job and no car, we offered her a job watching our building at night and taking care of the landscaping at the hospital. She did well, but after a few years she came to me extremely upset because she had just learned that her 28-year-old son, who was career military, had just been diagnosed with an extremely aggressive bone cancer over his shoulder. He was in a VA hospital in Virginia, dying, and she was desperate to go and see him. Of course we let her have as much time off as she needed.
Jackie was gone for about a month, spending as much time as possible with her son, John. When she returned she told me what happened.
When Jackie got back to Virginia she spent as much time as possible at the hospital with her son. She tried to give him things to do and look forward to, which is very difficult when you are dying a painful death. In their conversation one day, Jackie asked John, “If you could do anything, what would you want to do?” To her amazement, he replied, “You know what I would like most is to meet the First Lady, Hillary Clinton. She seems like an amazing person. I would love to just talk to her.”
Jackie was stunned. But this was her son, and if he wanted to meet Hillary Clinton as his last wish, she would try to arrange it. She looked up the phone number for the White House, called and asked for Mrs. Clinton. Of course, she wasn’t put through to her. She wrote her a letter, explaining about her son and mailed it to the White House. She later received a call from Mrs. Clinton’s secretary. The woman told Jackie that Mrs. Clinton had read the letter about John and his wish to meet her. Mrs. Clinton would be there later that week, she said, as soon as it could be arranged.
A few days later, John’s hospital floor was cleared of people, the secret service arrived … and so did Hillary Clinton. She spent several hours just sitting and talking with John, a young man she had never met. As Mrs. Clinton was leaving the hospital, she passed by Jackie in the hall and told her what a wonderful son she had and how she wished she could have done more for him. She handed Jackie her business card and said “If you ever need anything, please call.” Afterwards, John told Jackie that Mrs. Clinton was funny, brilliant and an absolutely amazing person. His meeting with her was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He died within the week.
John was single, so Jackie was left dealing with his estate. Since John was only 28 years old there wasn’t a lot, but he had a car that had been very special to him, a bit of furniture and some photos. When Jackie spoke with the military about getting it shipped to her in California they said there was no way they could do it for at least six months. She would have to pay for storage until then. She didn’t have the money to do that. She looked at the card in her pocket … and called the White House. The next day she had a phone call from the military telling her that her son’s possessions would be delivered to her in California within the next 10 days.
Jackie was excited when the moving van pulled up and they began unloading her son’s belongings. The moving van driver pulled her aside and told her that she might want to hold on to the order slip for the moving van company. He said, look at what is written on it.
It said, “To be moved immediately, handle with care. Personal friend of Hillary Clinton.”
I am telling this now to ask that we all please remember: Just because something is on “the news” does not necessarily make it true. There are many things we do not know about these people. We see what the media and social media feeds us, we get bombarded with it and it becomes true in our minds.
More than 20 years ago, through personal experience, my impression of Hillary Clinton was changed. I will never forget what she did for my friend and her dying son. Mrs. Clinton came with no press, no photographer and no ulterior motives but to help grant a young dying man from our military his last wish.
That is true kindness and caring.
