The Waiting Game

 

An uncomfortable quietness mixed with a feeling of helplessness. Uneasy anticipation. Impatiently waiting for the news.  

The hospital waiting room. 

Unlike in days of yore, when expectant fathers waited in the waiting room, today's waiting room is usually filled with a thick haze of despair.  

Hoping to hear that "everything went well" or "she is going to be okay." 

The minutes go by and it feels like a lifetime. 

You wonder what others are there for.  What are their stories? 

You could stretch your legs and get coffee to pass the time. Maybe, you read. Maybe, you watch TV mindlessly while you wait for the doors to open and call your name.  Whatever you can do to keep your mind going where you don't want it to go. 

Tom Petty said it best. "The waiting is the hardest part."  You are in limbo as your and your loved one's fates are in someone else's hands but the next time you find yourself in the waiting room, be kind to yourself, hold onto hope, and give yourself permission to feel what you are feeling.  It's Ok to be frightened of the "what if" and be excited about the "what could be." 

"The doctor will see you now."