Some people don't like to make visits to hospitals to see sick friends or relatives. They don't like to see their loved ones incapacitated and I can certainly understand that. But in my experience you get a chance to see a side of people you don't ordinarily see. People are willing to talk about things like death, money, religion, relationships, sins, and regrets, just to name a few. I find such realism to be refreshing and while I'm not a great small-talker, I love deep meaningful conversations.I also love the way the smallest things can bring laughter to both the patient and the visitor. I visited someone recently who is undergoing physical therapy. She was supposed to be using a small rectangular-shaped sponge to strengthen her left hand and arm. While we were watching television, I picked up the sponge from her tray and placed it into her left hand to try to get her to squeeze it. She'd already been in physical therapy all day and wanted nothing to do with the sponge, so she threw it across the room. We both cracked up laughing.
I've also experienced some of the most tender and miraculous moments while visiting someone in the hospital. After my grandfather had a major stroke many years ago, he was in a near coma-like status. Doctors didn't know if he was aware of his surroundings or not. After he remained in that state for quite a while, they concluded that he probably wasn't aware. I grabbed his hand one day and whispered into his ear. "If you can hear me Grandpa, raise your eyebrows." When he raised them ever so slightly several times, everybody in the room got teary-eyed. I told him that we loved him and that we wanted him to hang on and fight.
Hospital rooms are often messy. And what goes on in them sometimes is even messier. But life is messy and by digging into the messes you can often find diamonds.
