People

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PEOPLE WATCHING 2

I am sitting in the doctor’s office waiting room, having driven my husband to his appointment. I don’t mind driving him and waiting as it gives me time to do one of my favorite things – people watch. This morning is no different, as there are a number of people waiting their turn to see the doctor for their allotted 10 minutes.

There is the woman who is in obvious pain from what appears to be a migraine. She has on dark sunglasses to block out as much of the light in the room as possible.
She leans her head onto her hand; occasionally she makes a low, moaning sound as the pain becomes almost more than she can tolerate. I wonder to myself what has triggered her migraine and having suffered from migraines myself in the past, I say a prayer for her.

There is the obese woman who looks so very miserable. Is her obesity caused by a medical condition? Or does it cover up emotional wounds that she has never faced? There is a self-imposed wall surrounding her that I can feel from where I sit. It is as if her obesity is a fortress – keeping others out and her locked in. I wish I had the courage to tell her how much God loves her and how beautiful she is to Him.

Then there is the elderly man who cannot walk on his own. His legs are four wheels on a chair that his daughter pushes while his wife walks alongside. This man has a twinkle in his eye that sparkles like diamonds. His smile radiates around the room and his laughter is infectious. Life has dealt him some blows, obviously. His body has begun to betray him, hence the wheelchair. As I listen to him repeat his sentences frequently, I realize that his mind, so sharp in youth, has begun to play tricks on him. He still has a lively, contagious sense of humor. He wonders out loud why he is “there to see the doctor about my hip when it is my head that hurts!” His daughter tells him that “his hip bone is connected to his head bone” – like the old song we all sang as children – and he laughed happily. In a few minutes he wondered out loud why he is “there to see the doctor about my hip when it is my head that hurts!” As I watched his wife and daughter, their faces slightly fell as they realized, not for the first time I’m sure, that his mind continues to slip away a little more each day. His sense of humor prevails as he said (more than once) “I’m here to see Dr. Nee about my hip pain.” And he would laugh uproariously.

Watching these and other people who are in pain makes me realize how truly blessed I am to have good health.

My husband’s appointment was finished before these people came out from their doctor appointment so I did not get to observe them leaving. I pray they left in less pain and with more hope than when they arrived.

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