Greetings and salutations! Welcome back, dear reader. Forgive my long absence. Protracted and persistent physical illness kept me away. It is an interesting awakening when one discovers that modern medicine can have its limitations. Sometimes there is illness of the body that cannot be cured, or efficaciously treated. In these situations, illness must be endured. One must learn acceptance in order to find peace.
Illness, though, can become a distraction, keeping one from seeing as before.
Long enough, have I dwelt in darkness. So, in an effort to re-emerge into the light, I have given myself the homework assignment to consciously see my community through the eyes of love with which I first fell in love with the little town where angels wait to greet us just behind the very next tree, or corner.
Once again, we begin the journey, you and I, only this time it is my hope and prayer to do so with new-found vision.
God is a loving God and answers our prayers, allowing us to learn the lessons we need, at just the right time. A simple shift in focus would allow me to re-discover the heaven all around me, and the angels in our midst.
For example, last month, I found myself in the position of having to dial those three numbers we pray we never have to dial, but know are always available to us; 911.
So incapacitated was I from illness, it took me eleven hours to crawl to the phone in the next room.
"What is the nature of your emergency?" the 911 operator asked calmly but firmly. I heard myself yelling incoherently. The 911 operator asked for name, address, phone number and symptoms, and instructed me to wait for help. Less than six minutes later, the EMT opened my apartment door and found me on the floor in duress. They did not hesitate, but cradled me like a newborn babe and lifted me onto the gurney, gently caressing my wounded, wretched body. The EMT enveloped me with wings of guardian angels.
Soon, the bay doors of the Marshall Hospital Emergency Room opened; towering over me like life-saving Titans were Dr. John Tucker, emergency room doctor, clad in Superman-themed hospital scrubs; Deb, emergency room head nurse equipped in her bullet-deflecting bracelets and golden lasso of truth; and Dr. Gallant, emergency room doctor, gallant by nature, Gallant by name.
As they did their heroic best to stabilize my condition and that of all the other patients in crisis, pain, and trauma around me, I developed a deeper appreciation for our local EMT and Marshall Hospital ER staff.
They provide the same terrific treatment and compassionate care to all patients regardless of race, color, culture, religion, political affiliation, disability, or health insurance status. Our emergency-responders do not ask for it, but they certainly do deserve our heartfelt thanks.
