Today I sat in the hospital waiting room while I waited for Dr. DeMaagd to beckon us and let us know that all went well for my Mom’s surgery.
In the hours I was at the hospital, I was struck by the faces of the people we saw…
It started with the man in the wheelchair in Surgery Registration whose face showed very few expressions….I wonder when he lost the sparkle in his eyes….
I saw a happy woman (another nurse) who came to help my Mom’s nurse. She had a heart full of joy and such a kind spirit. I wonder who inspired her to be a nurse and bring such joy….
I sat across from a woman who waited for hours (2.5 more than we waited) and she was expecting a good report from the Doctor about her loved one. We made small talk and yet I wondered about those who sat amongst us in the waiting room who did not receive good news. I began to wonder about those whose lives were changed today because of a moment with the Dr. My heart ached for those people….
And then I saw Dr. DeMaagd and I heard him call our name. I was relieved to hear him say all went well and soon we would be reunited with my Mom. My Mom had a fall which could have happened to any one of us. Her life is changed drastically for a short time. Her fall is now part of her story…
I wonder what others wonder when they see you in passing….
Does the twinkle in your eye provoke curiosity in them?
Does the way you engage with others give people reason to wonder where you find your joy?
Does the way you engage with others in passing give them a glimpse into what your life holds and is waiting for….
It seems very evident that the hospital waiting room is where there is a room full of stories….
But that is true everywhere you go….I hope your curiosity is peaked and you will enter into conversation with great interest and listen for opportunities to learn a little more….
Be curious and live well….
