Oasis

I found an oasis in the hospital. Our social worker told me about it. So I went and checked it out. And when I got there, I almost started to cry, right there, in front of the volunteers. It was just so beautiful.

It is the Ronald McDonald family rooms in the old part of children's hospital. It is open to all families who have brought their children in to the hospital for one reason or another. It doesn't have to be for anything super serious. If your child is in for minor surgery, or whatever, the rooms are open for you.

And it is the nicest place anywhere in the hospital. It's like you stepped into someone's home. There is a fully loaded kitchen, one that looks more like a home kitchen, than a hospital kitchen. A lovely dining area. And a beautiful living room type area with a nice tv and it really feels, like, well, did I already use the word "home" a few times? There are even 3 bedrooms available, and a laundry and shower room. The next time Joel ends up in PICU, I can make arrangements to stay in one of the bedrooms. It is wonderful, because you can't sleep in the PICU, but this way I could sleep right there in the hospital, and be right on hand if there were any changes for Joel.

I've been there a few times now, and every time I walk in, I feel my eyes prick a bit with tears.

Because people are capable of some pretty crappy things. And some people do some really, really evil things.

But those rooms are made up of a lot of kindest and compassion. Some people put a lot in, and some people just a little. And all together they made something that makes me feel like a bunch of strangers gave me a big hug when I walk in that room. Sure, I know that McDonald's sponsored the rooms, and a lot of it is corporate money. But when I walk in, I just see the people who donated to the cause. And the people who volunteer in order to run it. Even the people who worked hard to plan it and build it.

It reminds me that though we all share a tremendous potential for evil, we also share a tremendous potential for good. It makes me want to let God work in me to realize that potential. It makes me feel a little bit humble, that so many people I don't even know, who never even know they have done something for me, have, well... ..done something really nice for me. Most of all, it is a little oasis, a place where I can feel like I have for a moment escaped all the stress of life in the hospital. It is a warm hug, from a lot of people I don't even know.