The Friday Five:

1. What was your most memorable moment from the last week?

Standing at my kitchen sink on Saturday morning, doing dishes, and looking out the window to see an Ambulance in the driveway across the street. Our neighbour had just had a stroke and was in the process of being rushed to the hospital.

2. What one person touched your life this week?

My neighbour's daughter. I don't really know her but my boss is really good friends with her so I felt like I knew her already. When we were coming out of the hospital from visiting Mark's dad on Saturday afternoon, we ran into Cheryl and her husband. I recognized her from some photos I'd seen so I spoke to them, asked about her dad, introduced ourselves, explained who we were, etc. I could see in her eyes how lost and upset she was. It touched me so much that I cried almost all the way home. I could totally relate to the fear that she was feeling. We'd gone through it on Tuesday while we sat, and waited, and waited, in emerg to hear about Mark's dad.

3. How have you helped someone this week?

I wouldn't have thought so at the time but I was told by my boss that Cheryl appreciated how we reached out to her on Saturday. I guess to just see a friendly face and hear a kind word in a time of trauma was some kind of comfort for her at the time. I felt like a bit of a knob. I know that I was awkward and felt weird (like a gossipy neighbour or something) at the time but Mark assured me that it was the right thing to do and I guess, in retrospect, it was.

4. What one thing do you need to get done by this time next week?

I have a huge project on my desk right now that needs to get a big dent knocked into it by this time next week. Things have been a bit mad around here since the move but I'm settling back into my routine at work again.

5. What one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place?

I will clean my house and do some laundry. This will help to create some calm in our lives if things are cleaner and tidier and generally less stinky than they are right now.