Life Happens

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Much of my frustration in life comes from broken routines.

One plan after another is fouled by life...

...getting in the way.

And life is about struggle and a certain dose of pain. It does little good to wait for the other shoe to drop so we wait for things to even out.

They rarely do.

We were getting ready for bed on Thursday night.

Another busy day planned for Friday.

When a shoe dropped.

“Mom is going to the hospital,” Kathy texted. “I’ll keep you posted.”

But I know enough about life to know that you have to be there for the people you love. I also know that work will always be there.

I called my client and postponed my early morning meeting, and then I got out of the warm bed and went with Kathy and Sam and we headed to the hospital.

And that’s where life happened.

The room was filled with brother and sister in-laws, all three of our boys, nieces and nephews and my father-in-law.

There aren’t many more lonelier places than a hospital waiting room.

Fear and hope and prayer and strength and vulnerability...

...all gathered there for the world to see.

I stood in the back corner and remembered things and thought about loving, living, struggling and wondering.

Lost in a world that is no longer routine.

Shaken.

We stayed in that room for hours.

Talked about being stopped for traffic violations of all things.

Told stories of days gone by.

Stories of life.

I got into bed a little before two in the morning, knowing the sun would come up soon...

...bringing another day...

...that would not be routine.

One of those life-changing days.

And the sadness that brings.

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