Simple question

Most of my patients come and go in 2-3 days... and honestly they are in so much pain those couple days that actual conversation is limited...  but occasionally someone stays for a whole week and I have a chance for a real conversation with a patient. It was that time in the morning when it is just me, the rehab aide and a patient.  No pressure.  No patients rolling in.  No one with Alzheimer's asking to use the phone.  No patient with cognitive disability asking to have the candy cane pen.  Basically no distractions. A lull. This patient had one question, "How much schooling did you have to do this job?"  Usually, I go with the simple answer, "Two years."  But this day I just kept going, "Two years, a master's program, after four years of undergrad... and I took a 10 year break between the two."  Of course that invited, "What did you do before this?"  I found myself telling her.  I don't tell many people anymore... and as I talked I could hear the aide commenting, "That's so cool, Kara.  I never knew."  My patient summed up my life so far very quickly... "You should write a book. I bet you have so much to say with such an interesting life.  You are never going to find someone to marry.  Who could possible match you after the life you have led?"  No lie... she said it just like that with hardly any pause between the sentences.  I laughed really hard.  It was just the way she said it... so sincere, so quirky and like every good joke almost too much truth.  My response came quickly, surprising me.  "I am pretty blessed to be 34 and had two careers that fit me so well."  That truly is amazing! Then another patient rolled in and our quiet, quirky, enlightening interlude was over.  As I watched her struggle to take off her socks I was in shock.  In a week I would forget this woman's name and yet her simple question gave me a bit of insight into my life that I had been missing.  I have often felt blessed in my second career... but it has been many years since I have felt anything remotely close to blessing from my first career.