Perspective

Working in a Children's Hospital each day, I see a lot. A lot that I keep to myself, a lot that I don't want to share with anyone, a lot that no one else should have to see or experience. In the pre-operative area, I help get children ready for surgery. Sometimes "minor surgeries", like ear tubes or tonsillectomies. But trust me, even to those parents, nothing is "minor", especially when you are trusting your child's life to an anesthesia team they may have only met one hour prior to surgery. Sometimes, it's major surgery. Heart surgery, complete bowel resections, life-saving measures. I go to the PICU, NICU, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care, and see babies and teenagers being kept alive by tubes and machines. And after all that, my life really gets put in perspective.

I often come in to work in a daze. It's 5:23 A.M. when I clock in, I've been up for over an hour and sometimes, been woken through the night by one or both of my beautiful babies. At the time, I'm frustrated, annoyed, and just plain tired and ready to get back to my bed ASAP. As soon as I step into work and see what is on our schedule for the day, the only annoyance in my life is that I can't rush back home and give them both an extra hug.

Some days, times get tough. I get worn out, exhausted, overwhelmed, and just unsure of how I'll make it through another toddler meltdown or another "Mr. Drama needs held by mama" episode. When our kids get ear infections, coughs, or runny noses, I worry, wonder, fret, and over analyze. Then I get to work and see the families of children who are a lot sicker than my poor child at home with an ear infection, and I wonder how I would be in their shoes. Then, I feel bad for feeling thankful that I'm not in their shoes. It's all about perspective, and I gain more each day. I realize how very lucky we truly are, and I am thankful for the insight gained each day at my job.