It’s midnight, and poor Dr. Dad still isn’t home. We were expecting him around 5:30, but that’s how it goes sometimes. We ate dinner without him. The kids went to bed without seeing Daddy. There were several things I’d hoped he could help me with once he got home. I’m sure he would have liked to have some dinner by now, too.
But it’s not those things that hit me the hardest on a day like today. He’s late because someone has a sick baby. They came in for what should have been a “regular” delivery. But once the baby was born, (s)he ended up not doing so well. Dr. Dad did what he could to stabilize the baby and then called for transport to a near-by NICU(we don’t have one in our small-town hospital).
I hate these kinds of days(and nights) because although I know my husband is a very capable pediatrician, there is only so much medicine can do.
And I hate these kinds of days because this family should be celebrating the birth of a baby, and are instead probably scared about what lies ahead.
I hate these kinds of days because it reminds me that even when everything looks “normal”, there’s always a chance for a trainwreck. There’s always the chance that something could go wrong.
But these kinds of days also remind me that I shouldn’t complain about the minor things that went wrong today; I should celebrate all the things that went right.
You have a great attitude. What an encouragement right now before the holiday- we have a lot for which to be thankful!
What a wonderful reminder. I’ve often thought that I occasionally need a wake-up call and “one of those days” – the kind where everything seems to go wrong – to remind me just how incredibly lucky I am and how many darn people love me and are here for me when the going gets tough.
I’ve also thought about when my husband is stuck at the hospital that there’s a good reason and that while we may miss him at home, there may be a family who needs him and his expertise more than we need him at the dinner table.
God bless you!