22 August 2011

What I Like About the Hospital

There are few things to like about the hospital.  Rarely is anyone there for a good reason.  Sometimes, sure, it's the birth of a baby but mostly it's accidents and illness.

We were hanging out at the hospital tonight, because that's where all the cool kids hang out now.  I realized that crammed into this hospital room we were required to sit quietly and just visit.  No presents, no kids, everyone on their best behavior.  Other than the terribly sick guy in the bed, it was a nice visit.

I like the camaraderie. Other visitors seem to band together in sympathy and empathy. Quick nods and quiet smiles often turn to polite conversations. If you spend an extended period of time, you begin to form a little team.

When my dad was in & out of the hospital the best advice I received was to be nice to the nursing staff. It makes a big difference for everyone.

The good thing about hospitals is it teaches us one more way to be a family

2 comments:

Swistle said...

I found that when I was there with Elizabeth last week, everyone seemed to be treating each other more carefully and with more respect than I'd usually expect to see. It's like, we all know we're there for something---but we don't know if we're there for something minor and easy like a tonsillectomy, or if we're there for the 50th nearly-hopeless surgery. So people give each other kind/careful looks in the coffee shop, and if you have a "leave me alone" look about you, people DO leave you alone. This is just in 4 hours so it's a small sample of What Hospitals Are Like---but your experience sounds like it's similar.

creative kerfuffle said...

i never thought about it, mostly because i haven't been in a hospital under those circumstances for a couple of years (thankfully). but, your observations are spot on.