Staying at the Ronald McDonald House really had a profound affect on me. As much as I gloss over it...being alone with a two-year old is tough. Not just because two year-olds are A LOT of work but because you can't exactly carry on a conversation with one. Though I can appreciate having many 2 minute talks with Zac about cars, trains or Bubble Guppies and he makes a darn good shopping partner ("Oh mommy, those shoes are cute..."), it is not the same as having a supportive adult with you. A phone call is nice, but it doesn't take the place of a face-to-face conversation.
The first night we spent at RMH after surgery was rough. Even if Zac wasn't waking up on his own, I had to wake him every 4 hours or so to ensure I stayed on top of the pain medication. In order to get him to take his medication, I had to resort to giving him 'jam beans'...what you and I know as jelly beans... Sometimes the pain was so overwhelming that he would hit at his face and scream. This particular night, I had a hard time getting him settled down despite trying a few different things. Out of desperation, I asked him if he wanted to get in his stroller and he said yes. I put the seat all the way back (a feature I had specifically chosen when making a Chicago-trip stroller purchase) and laid him inside, covered him with his favorite Elmo blanket - handed down by his sissy and slowly pushed the stroller back and forth until he fell asleep. Though he slept restless, he slept rather soundly in his stroller from 2:30 a.m. until he woke up at 8:30 a.m.
All in all, it was a very rough night. I got dressed and changed Zac's clothes and diaper (which was no small feat thanks to the port in his hip/leg for the front expander - oh how I absolutely dreaded diaper changes this trip),I pulled the blue jelly bean out of his hair from the previous night's medication bribery and I walked downstairs looking to find a bagel and some cream cheese donated by one of many amazing groups that volunteer their time and cooking skills and instead walked into something that would change my day. A man greeted us right away. He squatted down to talk to Zac, who was eating a bag of Goldfish crackers and something magical happened....Zac smiled! To be honest, Zac smiles A LOT...really. He is the sweetest little guy, but something about this first smile after such a long night. A smile that I was unable to muster up all morning, bright and glowing and then came the small giggles.
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| Care Bear pancakes! |
It brought me to tears, really. I do not cry easily but there was something about this moment that made me feel...I don't even know...relief, tenderness. I shed a tear or so and then was quick to dry them away as I didn't want to be seen by anyone. ;) I was so touched by the kindness of these strangers and suddenly the simple yogurt I choose to eat from their vast feast was a little more special because it was given with such kindness. We choose a seat in the huge RMH dining room and that is where my day began to change. One of the volunteers came over and sat at our table and we started to talk. We talked about nothing in particular...in fact, I can sparsely remember what we talked about. I only know that during our talk, all I could think about was how nice it was to have some 'adult' company. How the kindness of these strangers -in particular the one that gave me the best gift ever, the one thing I didn't even know I really needed, the gift of conversation...friendship - brightened my whole day!! I have no idea if this man even knew how much he changed my day...
So, in the words of one of my mentors...go change someone's world today. It may be done with something as simple as a kind word or even a smile. You may not realize you did it...but someone else will be glad you did. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." John 13: 34-35
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