Walked around the mall today while waiting for some deliveries in the clinic, thinking maybe I’ll buy some last minute gifts. Of course I ended up not buying anything. Also, “last minute gifts” implies that I had actually prepared well for it. I hadn’t. I used to take giving gifts seriously, but then my attitude has just degenerated to “oh, well”. This year I just made sure that I would be able to give something to the staff–the nurses, the guards, the chemo staff, the secretaries. I still prepared some gifts for the doctors in the hospital, but I didn’t make a list or anything meticulous. It’s like I saw Dra. Crustacea in the elevator this morning so she was top of mind, hence I gave her something even if we weren’t really particularly close and we weren’t referring patients to each other. Not thinking saves energy.

This morning I suddenly remembered that I wanted to give two particular doctors something out of genuine appreciation, but I hadn’t brought anything in the clinic for them. So I told my secretary, “Cassandra Nova, give me two copies of Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer and Other Medical Misadventures!” Upon further reflection I’m not sure if giving other people your own book is smart or tacky. Is it like giving them a framed photograph of myself? Maybe the stories will entertain them. Maybe not. But at least the Randoletti canned wafers and other SNR goods can be re-gifted, the book is signed with dedication and can’t be passed on. Maybe they’ll appreciate the cover. Or their kids will think it’s a children’s book, read it, and get scarred for life.

My secretary texted that the deliveries had arrived, but I wanted coffee. The nearest was a Dunkin Donut on the 4th floor or Robinson’s, so I got a medium iced coffee that I could bring to the car. The donuts looked inviting, but I wasn’t sure I could finish an entire donut.

“Pwedeng isang pirasong munchkin lang?” I asked sheepishly.

“Pwede po,” the Dunkin Donut’s girl said.

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