Friday, January 14, 2011

Ok, ok, just give me the 'Daily Saint' award and get it over with already....



 No, really it's more just like the 'good Samaritan' pendant!!!


NO....Actually, it's NONE OF THE ABOVE...
I just wanted to get your attention.

So, now that I have it...lol.

Tonight I had to take my oldest son to the ER.
He had a misplaced vertebrae in his neck and the beginnings of a migraine ;(
Well let's just say he wasn't feeling the greatest...
and as many of us well know...I never am...(feeling the greatest, that is!!!)

But, that isn't what this post is about!!!

So...two doors down there is a single mom of three young girls, all under four!!
The ER was incredibly busy tonight, so we knew we were in 
for a pretty long wait right from the beginning :(


This isn't the actual ER hallway we were in, but it was ALMOST this busy.
So anyways as we are talking...errr...trying to talk to the nurse,
these two young girls keep running un-escorted up and down the hallways,
and in between all the nurses, doctors, and patients. Oh yeah, did I 
mention there is no parent in sight?? Maybe, I mean, just maybe,
I could possibly sort of be forgiving of this situation,
IF and ONLY IF
the hallways had looked more like this:



So knowing that I have GAD
(Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
can anyone see where this story might be going???


First let me tell you that I watch these two little girls run up and down the hallways
by their selves another two more times....(remind you, they are probably three and four)
before I decide that I can't sit there and just watch it any longer!! I can't.
I simply can't!! I tried as hard as I could to stay seated. 
I even held on to the chair and started meditating,

(And obviously this isn't the type of chair they have in the ER...but***)
back to the story... a louder voice spoke to me...
it said..."get up, go to them, and hurry."



Because the hallway looked a lot like the first picture and nothing like the second,
I did exactly that, and in a hurry I might add.


Now, Ill be completely honest...I wanted to go straight over there 
and tell this mother a few things, I wanted to ask her what was she thinking letting
her beautiful little girls run alone in the busy hospital hallways with so many
strangers, so many potential weirdos!! I wanted to ask her why didn't she just
bring the girls in the room and shut the door and not let the girls back out?
 I want to say to her...Didn't you pack a bag full of play things for the girls?
 Some books, some paper and crayons, some fruit snacks and juice boxes,
 and maybe some Barbie dolls???
I mean who doesn't come prepared when they have young ones??


But the closer I got to her door,
the more I realized that I too have probably been in her position before,
maybe I'm just not remembering it right now!! Who know's maybe I haven't!!
But I do know one thing...she isn't the first person who has been in this situation.
And she certainly won't be the last!!

And then I started thinking about that voice telling me to 'Hurry up'
and I thought, "Oh no" what if it's the mother's voice I'm hearing in my head,
not knowing who she's talking to, and most likely not even voicing the words out loud...
What if she's thinking:


And I'll tell you what....hurry I did!!
And when I walked in that room, all of those things I'd been thinking before...
none of them were what came out of my mouth!!

Instead I heard myself saying,
"Hi, I'm Stephanie, is there anything I can do to help you out??
Perhaps I could read a story to your older girls so you can try to calm your little one down??
Or, if you need a break from your screaming baby, I'd be glad to hold her for you,
so that you can catch your breath... believe me, I've been right here where you are now.
I have five children of my own, and am a single mom!!"

The look on her face, was all I needed to know.
She didn't need to speak a word. And since she didn't offer up the baby,
I said shall I stay in here or take them to my room, believe it or not,
I guess she could tell I was a trust-able person, because they came with me :)
 (well that and the nurse was with me and patting me on the back saying, oh that's so nice
 of you, Stephanie!! I'm a regular there, you know, so they all know me by name!!)

Kamora (left) Marissa and I coloring in the ER :)
(Don't you just love the crayon holder?? lol)
~~
Skip to time to leave the ER...
Everyone has been treated, meaning my son and her daughter :)
Everyone is going to live, granted they aren't feeling the best and probably
won't be for a few days yet!!!

I have made myself a couple new little girlie friends.
(Oh and they are two and three!!)
Sweet little girls, they are!!
I've colored pictures special for each of them.
I've signed them to them from me, etc :)
The kids are all happy!!

And the moms....
Let's just say the look of relief on her face,
was all I needed to see to know that I had definitely
been placed at the ER today for that exact reason
 (to make a couple new friends, and give a mom a much needed break!!!). 


I feel that helping her with her children helped me to accomplish exactly 
what I was suppose to accomplish today :)
And the best part is, I left the hospital with the BIGGEST smile on my face :)



Ok, so it's time to wrap this up...but I have just a couple of things 
that I have to say first...

1.  I know that no one in their right mind stops to pack a goody/snack bag
before they go the ER!! I was just venting or something like it :(
My sincere apologies if that particular comment 
offended anyone. I'm truly sorry!!

***  2.  The reason I posted a picture of that specific kind of meditation chair is because
I will be reviewing one of those on this blog very shortly. Yah me :)
So you have that to look forward to if that kind of thing is
of interest to you ;)

AND

3.  Thank you so much for sticking with me on my daily journeys.
I know some of them are way more interesting than
others. But I guess that is just life!!
I appreciate you all :)

Luv and ((hugs))

~Steph

10 comments:

  1. I do not think I could use those crayons. It'd freak me out...LOL

    I hope your son got the help he needed and is feeling better.

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  2. This was a great post Steph. Sometimes you just have to reach out a little further don't you? And the reward comes back tenfold doesn't it?

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  3. @Kimberly, Thanks, my son is feeling a little better this morning...I mainly wanted them to x-ray his neck. What happened was he was sitting in the recliner just watching a movie and I was like six feet away messing around on the computer, when all of a sudden I hear this weird popping noise, not the kind you hear when you pop your neck or back...and then I looked over and could instantly tell he was in pain.

    I went to check it out and I could see that one of his vertebrae was out of place, and I could tell by his actions and words (mostly his words, lol) that he was in a world of pain.

    I haven't seen him yet this morning, and I'm hoping he is able to sleep in as long as possible, I made the younger ones all get ready for school quietly this morning. I know he's 19, but he's still my baby when he gets hurt!! Thanks for caring!! Every bit helps :)


    @Barb, Thanks for the compliment. You are so right about reaching out. Actually you would never know it by the first part of my post, lol...but I actually love to help people whenever I can...it's just that with my anxiety issues, sometimes I struggle with having to make myself calm down first and then look at it from their point of view...but I feel that doing that makes me a stronger person. And yes, the reward is ever so wonderful...sometimes more than tenfold :)

    Thanks for your comments ;)
    ~Steph

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  4. good for you! I tend to get anxious when I am in situations where the control is not mine. it sucks. and I have to remind myself that other people have their own issues as well.

    and as far as having a goody bag for the ER - LMAO - I always did, but that has to do with the anxiety thing again. I only recently have stopped carrying a bag full of coloring books, crayons, small toys and such (my youngest is 7). now my girls are in the habit of carrying around their own little purses with books, ipods and DSi's. the good news about all that is, we ALWAYS have something for other little ones to play with when needed ... and we have tossed crayons and coloring pages onto other tables in restaurants MANY times ;)

    their peace increases my peace -_- ahhh

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  5. What a fantastic story, Stephanie. Glad your son is feeling better.

    So many things I want to say...but I cannot find the exact words. You made a difference in those girl's lives and that is the most important thing. Helping out your fellow man/woman - how wonderful. And switching from feeling anxious to making a difference. I love this post and hugs to you for your graciousness.

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  6. @Diane, I know, I always have a bag packed, it hangs right by the door so I can grab it at a moments notice. I have a the very top side door shelf that is a 'never touch' shelf because that is where I keep things that I can put in it, like snacks...well and I also keep me cold soy chai teas up there :) lol. But back to the story...right always having something at hand is wonderful, and like you said even if it isn't for your own kids, the items always seem to come in handy.

    @Darla, Thanks!! My son is actually up and moving around quite well now that's early afternoon. I'm so glad that so many of you like my posts, it really means something to me, to know that I make a difference :) Here at home, sometimes the kiddos make me feel like I'm the most horrible person ever, lol.

    ~Steph

    Ahhh, I'm so with you...their peace increases my peace :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. ok hun take your right hand put it over your left shoulder now take you left hand and put over your right shoulder and squeeze. a hug from me to you that was so amazing of you and totally perfect

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  8. Ah you bring me to tears....and they began just before you introduced yourself...I could so relate....what our world needs is more people like you willing to step up and lend a hand! You are an angel! Lovely story! Isn't it amazing what crayons or pencils and paper can do! Love it!

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  9. I'm definitely giving you all those awards - all at once! The ER isn't the funniest place to visit, here either. Helping that woman with her girls, to me definitely demonstrates your good heart.
    I hope your son is alright.

    Love
    Daniel

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  10. @Becca, you are so funny, it took me to get my left hand and start to put it....before I realized what was going on, but I still continued....thanks so much for the hug. ((hugs)) right back at ya, girl :)

    @Karen, Oh how right you are...a little art materials can go so far with just about anyone ;) I don't really think I'd go as far as calling myself an angel, but thanks very much for the compliment. I actually use to have this huge collection of angels but then I had to move due to really bad circumstances and unfortunately I had to leave them behind.

    @Daniel, Thanks for the awards, but I don't deserve any of them, that's just me being myself!!! And thanks you for the well wishes for my son. He is feeling so/so, but I know it's going to be awhile before he feels back to himself.

    ~Steph

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