The gift of ukulele

My coworker gave me a Kala KA-S ukulele a while back.  She wanted to learn, but did not have the time or patience.  So she ended up giving it to me.  I was going to put it up for sale through Craigslist, but it just did not feel right.  After all, it was a gift.  So, I decided I was going to put it up as a prize to a lucky contestant through the Ukulele Underground. 

Today at the hospital, I saw a sad little child who was with her family visiting her sick grandfather.  She looked quite uncomfortable being around the hospital, so I ran up to my office and grabbed the uke.  I went to the visitor's lounge and played "You got a friend in me" (Toy Story) and "Part of Your World" (Little Mermaid) and all the songs I play with my daughter.  Over the next half hour, it kept her occupied as she sang along (as well as the rest of the visitors).  In the end, I gave the uke to her and I asked her to play for her grandfather. It turned out he was a WWII veteran who spent a lot of time in Hawaii, and he loved the uke. 

Words cannot describe the look in her eyes when I gave the uke.  And nothing can describe the joy I felt.