A *Moment* That I Shared With My Special Phlebotomist

On February 9, 2015, I went in to the cancer center to give a sample of my blood one week before I saw my cancer doctor concerning my Stage 1 leukemia (CLL). My favorite phlebotomist, Tonia (who I ended my 2012 Christmas Letter with a very notable story about), took my blood this day and as I settled into my chair, I told her how I very much enjoyed running into her at Walmart a couple of months earlier and had a nice long visit with her. I then told Tonia, "I hope that you don't mind me saying this, but, and I know that you're always attractive, but that night at Walmart, you were particularly beautiful. I don't know if you remember how you had your eyes done that night, but your eyes were really deep!" And as I finished my sentence, my eyes gazed intently into Tonia's eyes (with Tonia looking down, hovering just over me) and we looked very intently into each other's eyes for several long seconds. After I looked away from Tonia's beautiful eyes, she told me rather sheepishly, "Oh, you're embarrassing me."

I also told her that it was very nice of her to initiate giving me a hug when we said our 'Goodbyes' at Walmart and that that was the most special hug (outside of my family, as I would later defensively explain to my daughter, Holly) that I had received in many years. I told Tonia, "You know, though, there was one 'downside' to that hug you gave me." Tonia laughed and replied, "Oh, what's that? Because I had to leave?"  I told her, "Yes, I had to let you go. You're right on it."