It Always Works Out

The other day I was checking in an older gentleman at the clinic. He spoke a broken English but just enough that you could still understand. Coming from two parents who speak broken English, I can say there is really something powerful when people try hard to find the right words in a language they barely know. It's almost endearing.

In any case, I let this gentleman know that he had a $10 dollar copay I would be collecting up front, so he gave a $20 dollar bill. Naturally, I printed him a receipt for the $10 I collected and gave him his remaining $10 change.

I'm not sure why he got confused by this since he felt compelled to mention that he gave me $20 dollars, not $10. Of course I agreed and explained that's why I was giving him a receipt for the $10 copay and then the $10 dollars back in change.

I don't think he really understood what I said, to be honest, but he just gave me this heartfelt chuckle and said in perfect English: "It always works out."

Now maybe I took this to mean so much more to him, but I swear the way he said it, so perfect, and so sincere just really made me believe this was his motto in life and that indeed it had always worked out for him.

I was just thinking, that's a beautiful affirmation to say to ourselves: IT ALWAYS WORKS OUT.
Thank you, random stranger.