Submitted by Rev. Dr, Jerry Butcher, Mission

Both in our mid 80’s, my wife, Betty, and I had an ‘appointment’ between 3 and 5 p.m. at the RH COVID Vaccination Clinic in Edinburg. It was a disorganized disaster. They funneled second shot people, cancelled out the day before, on to our day and opened the vaccines to a first come, first serve invitation. This left many elderly people, like us, thinking we had a time slot, waiting in freezing temperatures.

There was only a single clerk with one computer, checking people into the clinic, causing a slowdown. The line of over 1,000 people snaked over a parking lot the size of a football field. What should have been a one-hour wait was stretched to four hours. The windchill temperature was 35 degrees with freezing wind at 15- 20 MPH.

After an hour and a half in line we decided to give up and go home.

But a young American Mexican girl next to us in line said, “No! Don’t give up! You have to get your vaccine!”

Then she wrapped a shawl around Betty and said, “This will help you stay warm. My car is just over there. You can sit in the warm car. I will save your place in line. But don’t give up. You must get your vaccine.”

After such kindness and encouragement how could we give up now?

We did take turns getting out of the cold. Kept our place in the seemingly never-ending line and after four hours in the freezing temperatures entered the clinic and received our COVID vaccinations.

So, the kindness and encouragement of this young stranger helped us through the chaos and trying circumstances to receive a lifesaving vaccine. Even though she became lost in the chaos of the moment her kindness is not forgotten.