The pillow rests comfortably on the bed, just waiting for someone to place their head on its cushy filling.  The man, try as he might, cannot seem to get comfortable.  Finally, he finds the pillow and pulls it under his ear as he feels a sense of relaxation flow through his body.

The man finished his walk through the hallways after another surgery.  He’ll make a full recovery, the doctor insists.  He’s counting on it, because he does not want to think of the alternative.   The man sharing a room with him, moans in pain.  He has not yet been awake enough to find out his name.  He has a few visitors come in briefly to check on him, but the conversation is one-sided.

The man wonders who else is on this floor, and in this hospital.  He ponders how each bed is like its own little world.  A world with or without visitors, depending on the patient’s skills at building relationships.  A world with or without a bright future, depending on the patient’s health issue.  A world with or without a ride home, depending on the effects of the medical treatment.

The ride “home” may be back to the home in this physical world, or back to the “home” in the non-physical world where we will all once again meet up.  The man thinks about these concepts as a visitor arrives.

It’s a young boy wearing a uniform.  He came to visit the man, even though the man has never seen the boy before.  “Hello, my name is Billy,”   leads the boy.

“Hi, I’m Jack” replies the man.

“I am working on a project for a merit badge in the scouts, and I picked your room number and bed number at random, so that I could come and interview you.  Would it be okay if I ask you a couple of questions?”

“Sure, I have nowhere to be.”

“Great.  So what do you think of this hospital?  How long have you been here?  What do you think the best part about being sick is?”  the boy fired off.

“Hold on.  Slow down.”  replied the man.

“What makes you think there is a best part about being in the hospital?”

“Well, there is a best part about everything in life.  I want to know what the best part for you about being in the hospital is?”

The man pondered in silence for several minutes before he said, “I never thought about a best part.   I guess that would be meeting you, and hearing that question.  I will figure out a best part before I leave and phone you with the answer.”

The boy provided Jack with his contact information, thanked him, and went on his way.

For the next few days, Jack pondered Billy’s question.  “I really do think the best part of this experience is the realization that there is in fact a best part.”

When Jack packed his things before being discharged, he phoned the boy.

“Billy, this is Jack from the hospital.  I’m going to stick with my first answer, that the best part of being in the hospital was meeting you and realizing that there is good in everything that we do.  We just need to find it.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“How did you come up with that question, though?”

“Well, my mom always tells me when I have a bad day to look for the good in the day, so you can remember that, rather than the bad in the day.  She said we want to create good memories so that we only can remember the joy in our life, rather than the bad that causes so much pain.”

“Billy, you are a wise man.  Thank you for visiting me.  May I come to the celebration when you earn your badge?”

“Certainly, I’ll send you an invitation.”

Ω

InspiraCard

When we get wrapped up in our own little piece of the larger world, we sometimes forget to see the positive of each experience.  If we look hard enough, we can find something positive to give us joy and to add to the lifetime of memories.  After all, if we’re going to look at our past, we might as well only look at the positive things that brought us happiness and joy.

Written Wed Feb 19, 2014, 7:39 – 7:53 AM