Ponderings From The Hospital Waiting Room

It’s 7:32 a.m., and after a quick hug and kiss, I wink to my mother as she's taken into the operating room.  Thankfully, my mom’s condition is not life threatening, and although her surgery has potential risks involved, I’m confident she will come through with 'flying colors.'  My mom is a tough cookie – she takes after her daughter.  That said, my mother is at a point in her life where the onset of age-related health problems has become all-too-commonplace.  This morning's procedure is just the latest in a series of health issues we've had to deal with over the past few years.  Yet, I can’t help but wonder – when did I become old enough to have an aging, elderly parent with increasing daily needs and progressive health problems?  I remember being 16-years-old like it was yesterday.

If life has taught me one important lesson, it’s this:  Things can always be worse.  After walking briskly down the hall to check-in with the waiting room staff, I notice that I have plenty of company.  Friends and family joined together – complete strangers waiting patiently in one giant room.  While seated in the waiting room, I meet a woman whose daughter was taken into surgery at approximately the same time as my mom.  The daughter and two friends were visiting downtown Chicago, when the car in which they were driving was hit by a speeding taxi running a red light.  The daughter’s neck was broken.  Sadly, what was supposed to be a fun trip to the Big City turned into a frightening event leading to delicate neurosurgery.  Talk about life changing events – the type of life changing events which literally happen in the blink of an eye.  My new waiting room friend and I exchange words and prayers to comfort each other.  Meanwhile, we keep each other company throughout the stressful hours ahead.

After what seems like an eternity, I see my mother's surgeon emerge from the operating room area.  She notices me immediately – then proceeds to walk towards me.  I take a deep breath.  At first, I start to feel a bit uneasy and increasingly anxious.  Then, I quickly recall what my mother is constantly telling me – especially during my most difficult moments.  Think positive.  Always think positive.  And with that, I suddenly know in my heart that everything is going to be okay.