"Special Folks I encounter!"

I encounter some of the most giving people doing what I do for a living. I wanted to write about Sabra, a woman that's been hiring me for many years.

The second Friday evening in December I reserve for Sabra. Sabra puts on a holiday bash at Kaiser in Santa Clara. The thing is she doesn't work there.

The party is for the kids that have cancer, their siblings, their aunts, their uncles, their grandparents, the nurses, the doctors, former patience, administration... This is a big party. Some of the kids are pretty sick but you wouldn't know it from all the happiness in the room.

Sabra works as a 911 dispatcher for the city of San Jose. She raises funds all year long through the police department so she can throw a holiday bash for 200 people every year. There is arts and crafts, presents for every child, Santa, food, drinks, ginger bread houses, decorations, The police bring in the trained dogs and do a demonstration for the kids and I'm humbled because somehow I became a highlight of this event. Hugs and screams of laughter.

Sabra throws this party because her daughter had leukemia. I've met her daughter, her daughter has children now of her own, she's probably 35 by now. Sabra made a promise to God that if he saved her daughter, she would take over this party every year. I don't know a lot about the details but Sabra has been doing this for probably 25 years.

Now that's a promise.

People think it's pretty neat that I work with kids. People think it's neat that "I do what I want" for a living. But you know what, it's pretty neat because I meet a lot of people like Sabra.