Perspective

Molly, from My Cozy Book Nook, shared this story on her blog last week.  It gave me a much-needed attitude adjustment and I want to share it with you....not that I think any of you need your attitudes adjusted...just as a window into my brain these days.  Enjoy.

I was at the hospital today visiting with Mom and waiting to talk with the nurse regarding her condition. I arrived around 3:00 pm and put in my request to talk with her before I even went into Mom's room. I was told that the nurse had just admitted another patient, but "would be with me shortly".  That is a nebulous term, "be with you shortly".  I consider "shortly" to mean 15 or 20 minutes, wouldn't you?  Forty minutes later (yes 4-0) the nurse popped her head in the room and said that she was really busy but she would be back in "just a minute"

Shortly after this there was announcement over the intercom that a Dr. Anderson was needed in the ER - stat. This was repeated about 3 times and I thought that perhaps we were dealing with a rush hour accident, or a heart attack patient. I said a quick prayer for those in ER....but went on seething at the incredibly long wait that I had to endure in order to ask one simple question.  After one hour and ten minutes I left the hospital --- never having spoken to the nurse.

Just now I was watching the news and I heard that a 7 year old boy tried to run between two cars walking home from school today. He was rushed to the hospital at 3:45 PM -- the same hospital where my mom is staying. They tried to resuscitate him; they tried to do all they could do. He did not make it.  To think that I was being inconvenienced when a young boy was fighting for his life and a family was struggling downstairs. Their lives are forever changed; and I have come to realize that I am truly blessed.

I pray for the ER staff who valiantly strived to save this young boy; I pray for his family - who is left wondering how on earth this could happen when the morning started off so typical; and I pray for the driver of the car that hit him --- knowing that they had no idea that a young child would run across their path so unexpectedly.

The many stresses of my changing life wear on me from time to time and I can do the "Oh, Woe is me!" bit pretty well.  Molly made me stop whining for a minute, take a look around and realize that my woes are...well...woeful.  On the grand scale, they are nothing.  Take a look around today, see the big picture, and realize how blessed you are.  Thanks, Molly, for sharing your wonderful insight.