Different types of helping.

A lot of people that I deal with on a daily basis are related to my son's medical care. Some of them are just 'clock-on, clock-off' kinda employees. Others really love their work, and will go out of their way to help you out.

I've had two of the latter this week- one of them has made me glow with gratitude and pleasure, the other has brought out a lack of graciousness that I never knew I had in me.

The good one went like this- one of my son's medical people rang me while I was grocery shopping on Monday morning. She had just realized that if I signed a particular form my son and I would be in line for a small remuneration on fees and things. All good, except there was no way I was going to be able to actually get to her for about a week (week from hell). So she says, wait right there, I'll come to you. So, in the middle of a work day, she leaves her office, negotiates the crowded carpark of a big hospital, and drives 20 minutes to meet me outside a supermarket so I can sign my name on something. Thereby getting me a financial bonus that I never even would have known about if she hadn't gone looking for me. Without me asking!
How sweet is that! Thankyou Rhiannon, you made my world just a little bit better.

The bad one is trickier. My son has a terrific physiotherapist. Lovely young guy, really smart and nice and utterly dedicated to his job. The Kid has progressed to a point where he does more work in an actual gym, than in a physio studio. So, at the moment, the physio is setting up a new program for him, and he told me that he wants me to take over supervision of it. I am willing, but not best pleased. I don't enjoy gyms. Especially the mixed ones. But hey- whatever is best for the Kid. I'll suck it up if I have to, is what I'm saying.
The thing is, he has started to pester me a bit about my participation in this. As in, 'you should come in your gym clothes, too, and do the exercises as well' and ' you know, if you do the same set after the Kid, that is the perfect amount of rest for him to have before he does his second set', and , my personal favourite, ' why don't you see if you can lift these weights comfortably?'

I'm not stupid. I understand the subtext here. He is trying to help, but what he is really saying is
Get off your lazy arse and do some exercise, you fat cow!

Its true, I could use a little exercise. But I resent being coerced like this. If he came to me and said "Gee, your butt is the size of a planet these days, don't you think the occasional jog round the block would be a good idea', I would probably slap him, but I'd agree and get to work on some serious regular cardio.
But this namby pamby 'trying-to-get-me-to-do-stuff-without-actually-saying-it' is pissing me off.
He's right, but he's still pissing me off.

Helpfulness- sometimes ya love it, sometimes ya don't.