Dessert Night

For over two decades, the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Baltimore has been a "home away from home" for cancer patients and their families. The 4K for Cancer team volunteers weekly during the semester, making meals and interacting with the folks who always seem to welcome our visits with open arms.

It's dessert night, and we walk in with nothing a few buckets of ice cream and a big smile. I recognize a few familiar faces as we make our way to the kitchen. It doesn't take us long to set up - a good thing, given the unexpectedly large crowd. I find myself at a table with Dana, Andrew, and a couple I had not met before. We chat and learn that they’re from California, a fact that Andrew naturally finds exciting.

As it turns out, the reason for the sizable gathering was none other than Bingo. Each of us is handed several cards, and with every table grouped into a team, we're quickly thrust into this surprisingly fast paced game of chance.

"B 12". "G 65". "I 23". Our hands and eyes dart across and down our cards as the numbers are called out. We remark about how unfortunate our cards are and joke about cheating as we stare at the blank spots where red squares should be, anxiously waiting for good numbers. It's more fun than you might think.

After a couple rounds, it becomes apparent that our table got the short end of the stick. Tables all around us are getting bingos, and the anticipation mounts as we wait for probability to give us ours. Dana does manage to win a "worst card" round, but, alas, the bingo remains out of our grasp. Of course, it's just game of chance - our bingolessness doesn't detract from the fun, and before long it's time for the 4K team to head out.

Volunteerism is wonderful thing, but before this night I couldn't help but wonder if the little things that we do while volunteering at the Hope Lodge could make any significant impact on the lives of those with conditions as serious as cancer.

As we say goodbye to the couple from California, we learn that the wife will be leaving for home soon, while the husband will be staying.

"Coming back next Monday?" he asks. I sense a bit of hope in his question.

"Yep, I'll be here on Monday," I promise as realization dawns on me.

Hope is really all about enjoying the most that you can, especially if you’ve got that unlucky card.

Charlie Ouyang