The Waiting Room

“… Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
Matthew 22:39

The news would have us believe we’re a nation divided. It’s true that there have been headlines – loud and ugly – fussing and fighting about different colors of skin, differences of languages, flags, sexual preferences, and likely the list is going to get longer…

I was in the waiting room of my doctors office and the place was packed. I likely wasn’t the most happiest of persons as it was past 11:00 am and I had already been waiting a long time for my blood test. You know the kind, you have to fast the night before. So there I sat, amongst others, no food in my belly, no coffee on my lips. I figured there were others there in the same circumstances.

We were a diverse bunch in the room. All ages, all skin colors, different backgrounds. More than a few were on crutches or wheel chairs. I could see one older lady through the glass doors, wheeling what I assumed was her husband and trying to come through. A man jumped out of his seat to help her open the double doors.

One couple were stressed as they were due for another appointment and it was important for the husband to be at this heart specialist. Would they make it on time? Frantic calls on her cell phone to explain the situation. She told her husband if he didn’t get called soon, they would have to leave so as to not miss this important heart specialist.

Soon a woman with two crying children in tow walked in, registered herself at the desk, and as she turned to the crowded room, the same stressed lady, needing to take her husband to the heart specialist,  motioned for her to have her seat, saying she would be leaving soon, and to grab her chair as there were some seats together. I don’t know if she saw me right away, playing peek-a-boo with her youngest and doing very well to make him happy and stop crying. We were soon in conversation as she was wearing a dress that I had to know where she got it. I continued playing with her two children, I think it helped her stress level. She seemed surprised, and I explained I had three grandchildren at home and her two must know a good Nana when they see one. She was so sweet and said, “I wouldn’t have taken you for a grandmother at all.”

As we chatted, more acts of politeness, smiles exchanged, kindness and caring was constantly going on in that room. I see it all the time when traveling, at other situations like a line at the bank or even the grocery store parking lot.

These stories don’t get told on the evening news. I appreciated this reminder that what is often on the news isn’t real. I mean it happens, but the media seems to have an agenda that they are pushing. Good on the Glen Burnie doctors office to show the news, we aren’t those angry people.

That one lady didn’t have to stop stressing about her husband’s heart condition to come out of her bubble and cell phone to see that this mother needed seats together for her children. The one man didn’t have to bounce up almost mini seconds after seeing the older lady trying to get her wheelchair bound husband through the door. I suppose I didn’t have to get past my growling stomach to play with the cranky children to try and help the mom out. She certainly didn’t have to be so kind as to tell me I didn’t look like a grandmother.

But we did.

So I left there, my arm poked and bandaged, with a big smile. We are certainly not a nation of perfect people. Good to know we aren’t full of hatred that we see every day and night either. So very grateful to have that reminder.