I spent some time at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital yesterday.
As always, it was a great reminder of how lucky my family is to have three happy, healthy kids, and as always, the chocolate mousse at the cafeteria was excellent.
What I really took away from the hospital yesterday (along with a seven year old with some stitches in his mouth) was an appreciation of the kindness of strangers, and how much of a social leveller it is to have a child in hospital, even just for a day.
Leaving your little loves asleep on an operating table brings out a rare vulnerability in the best of us and regardless of anything else, I was struck by how the parents were all in this together. We were all in a situation we couldn’t control - no one could influence whose turn came next or how long a procedure would take, or what the outcome would be, regardless of who they were or what position they might hold in the world outside the hospital.
Patience was the only option. And everyone was gracious, exchanging stories and offering small kindnesses, all wanting the best for each other. We were bonded for a brief moment in time, before heading back to our very separate lives.
It’s a funny thing about that hospital. It’s not a place you usually *want* to be, but I often leave feeling pretty good. Some of that might be the chocolate mousse, but mostly I think it’s just the best reminder that for the most part, people are good.