So I did a thing the other day that I thought I might share with you all.
A customer at my store happened to let me know he was on his way to a colonoscopy.
I wished him luck as he drove off in a bit of a hurry.
As the day went on I decided I needed to do something to thank him.
What?? Why??? You might say?

Okay here's a little back ground.
My Grandmother passed away in 2016 from colon cancer. She was a helper at a hospital for Many Many years and Knew how important it was to take the tests that can detect problems early on.
Unfortunately when she was younger and having a colonoscopy something went wrong and she had to stay in a hospital for several days. Due to this she made the decision to never get the test done again.
By the time they found out about her cancer she only had about four months left with us.
So for me after this customer shared a Super private part of his day with me I knew I needed to find a way to Thank him for his Bravery.

I have also recently been listening to ALL of this podcast called Ologies (if your not into it, Get into it! It's on Spotify) and the most recent episode spoke about Breast cancer. The doctor being interviewed talked about how to best set yourself up for what is a very uncomfortable test for most women and even men.
Because yes men get breast cancer too.
Her suggestion and what she does for herself is to set up a shopping and nice dinner date with a friend after wards!
This way she'll have something to look forward to after the test.
She even mentioned how she doesn't see why getting a lollipop and a toy after a doctor's visit has to end at childhood!! Lol
Her words got me thinking about this customer again and how I really wanted to do something special but small to thank him.
That very morning after listening to the podcast episode he came around for his usual order.
I quickly made his drinks and a little gift from me. I let my fellow Barista know I wanted to hand out his items personally as he was in the drive thru.
I had thought about sharing with him the story of my grandmother but could already feel the tears building behind my eyes and knew I couldn't without letting them fall.
So I simply handed him a warmed up banana bread loaf while telling him what it was and that it was a Thank you for getting his colonoscopy the other day.
He thanked me and actually told me I was amazing!
I just looked at him and said it right back "No Your Amazing."
As he left the drive thru I choked back my tears and went about the rest of my shift.
Too summarize there are things in this world we know we should do to protect ourselves and our loved ones. When it comes to scary tests Especially uncomfortable ones it doesn't hurt to give Yourself or Someone else something nice for stepping up and getting it Done. If you know someone is thinking about getting tested but is concerned or scared in anyway maybe make an offer to go out and do something fun afterwards. Or if it's a colonoscopy offer to sit beside them while watching a favorite movie they love. Just be encouraging and compassionate about their feelings. Let them know your there for them.
Be safe out there you guys.
What you don't know can still hurt you.
Once you know, It may just Save your Life.