This past week, as I went to visit a close family relative in the hospital, I couldn't help but notice everything I didn't when I was younger. As a child, I saw hospitals as scary places where you would only go to be treated and once in a while visit sick relatives. I never wanted to stay too long, for fear of being admitted (with no injuries), so I would cling to my mother or sister and hope to be out soon. What I actually realized recently, however, was the overwhelming amount of people in one place from all different backgrounds and religions.
Unfortunately, we are all brought into this world where there is love, but where there is also hate and indifference, and anyone is able to see this. However, when it comes to a point of life or death, we become vulnerable and desperate to cling to life, to fight for it, and more importantly to hold onto the hope of seeing a loved one once more. Therefore, when any person comes into a hospital, whether it be a sickly person or just a visitor, there is a desperation and sole purpose to come out of there healthy once more. This then allows us to set aside our feelings and opinions and we all come together in one room, or one huge building, and hope for the best, because no one ever thinks it could happen to them or their loved ones, until it does.
Another awesome things about hospitals is also the life that is brought into them. This simple fact should be more than enough to understand why hospitals are just so special. Families, friends, strangers alike, are brought together to celebrate new life and new beginnings. So while it may be saddening to be in a hospital, it's not always an unhappy place.
While at times we may not realize, it's an uplifting experience to look around and see who else may be on the same boat as us. We may sometimes think that our situation is uniquely ours, but you'd be surprised how many other people share the same weight as you. Therefore, we might even say that hospitals give us a bit of extra hope, knowing that many others are praying for the same thing we are. A second chance. A second chance to see a loved one again, a second chance to be better and a second chance to learn and not take our own lives for granted.
At times we are so consumed with our busy lives, we forget how precious and how easy it is for it to be over in a second. So the next time you find yourself in a hospital, and I really hope you don't find yourself in one, make sure to remember you're not the only one, and whoever may be next to you, is feeling the same as you.
(And don't forget to visit the cute babies in the maternity wing.)
