A Finger-full of Fresh Values
A visit to the emergency room should be enough to give a mom a fresh perspective on life and fill her with gratitude on account of her family's good health.
My initiation that fateful Monday was emotionally taxing. It is a rite of parenting, they tell me, but it took at least a full week of chiropractor visits, sick days from work, tehillim, public weeping spells, countless emails and probing phone calls for me to recover. It was a minimalist Shabbos, just challah and tuna, and most often I was curled up on the couch or rejuvenating undercover.
By the next week I was sufficiently back to normal. When friendly/curious/nosey people queried after her finger, I was honestly responding, "she's fine, B"H. Its just a cast, it doesn't bother her at all." At that point, it wasn't bothering me either.
Then Thursday dawned. Time to trek back to the hospital... I decided to travel by public transport, and I'm glad I did, since I was able to write the next segment to my short story. A change of scene can really serve to fire up the imagination. People-watching, particularly amongst a crowd as diverse as a hospital or train, never fails to spark my creativity.
Additionally, people watching is an inspiring, gratifying activity. An activity I refer to as "perspectivizing". It creates perspective, shifts focus, allows a person to reevaluate her life, goals and grievances.
Today is Thursday. I'm back at the hospital again. Waiting and watching. I may look bored, typing here on my phone. But boredom is as far as the moon, so long as I'm equipped with a pen and my imagination. To be quite accurate, my pen is lying neglected in my bag, along with my notebook. Once, they were my constant companions, but life's a-changin' friends....
Either way, here I sit, waiting for my turn, watching the other patients, and thanking Hashem for my handful of tsores.
(TBC)
My initiation that fateful Monday was emotionally taxing. It is a rite of parenting, they tell me, but it took at least a full week of chiropractor visits, sick days from work, tehillim, public weeping spells, countless emails and probing phone calls for me to recover. It was a minimalist Shabbos, just challah and tuna, and most often I was curled up on the couch or rejuvenating undercover.
By the next week I was sufficiently back to normal. When friendly/curious/nosey people queried after her finger, I was honestly responding, "she's fine, B"H. Its just a cast, it doesn't bother her at all." At that point, it wasn't bothering me either.
Then Thursday dawned. Time to trek back to the hospital... I decided to travel by public transport, and I'm glad I did, since I was able to write the next segment to my short story. A change of scene can really serve to fire up the imagination. People-watching, particularly amongst a crowd as diverse as a hospital or train, never fails to spark my creativity.
Additionally, people watching is an inspiring, gratifying activity. An activity I refer to as "perspectivizing". It creates perspective, shifts focus, allows a person to reevaluate her life, goals and grievances.
Today is Thursday. I'm back at the hospital again. Waiting and watching. I may look bored, typing here on my phone. But boredom is as far as the moon, so long as I'm equipped with a pen and my imagination. To be quite accurate, my pen is lying neglected in my bag, along with my notebook. Once, they were my constant companions, but life's a-changin' friends....
Either way, here I sit, waiting for my turn, watching the other patients, and thanking Hashem for my handful of tsores.
(TBC)
Quite the traumatic experince i must say! But Nechama dear we shall all learn from you to deal with such things as you so bravely and positively did! Role model!:)
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