I just have to share this with you, if you didn't already get it on ICN, the Catholic online news service.
Mary Wang writes about waiting at a hospital A&E department. Having been on call at the University Hospital this week, and being called out to an emergency, Mary's reflection rang so many familiar bells. I was struck, spending just a few minutes in the A&E just how stressful it was for so many people. Mary writes:
"Midnight in the waiting room for Accident & Emergency, and you can tell who the worried newcomers are. They pace around and still think it will make a difference to their place in the queue if they hassle the poor receptionist every twenty minutes. A few years ago there was a time when I regularly needed to take someone with a heart problem to the Accident and Emergency department. The first few times were quite stressful and I was unprepared. After the canteen shut I couldn’t find anywhere to get us food whilst waiting through the night. Or I’d worn a thick top which was sweltering in the hospital, kept warm for patients in nightclothes. The general feeling was one of worry and anxiety, all that mattered was getting to the front of the queue. After a few visits we were more prepared. I had a bag packed and ready with change for parking and for the coffee machine, snacks, enough books and newspapers for us to last through hours of waiting and treatment, and a fully charged mobile phone."
I do commend the whole piece to you, and especially the link to Our Lady who teaches us much about waiting.
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