“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.” – Wess Stafford
I made a new friend today. He was sitting on the floor organizing puzzle pieces. I took a seat beside him to take in his perspective. It had been awhile since I joined a patient on this level, but it set the tone of our relationship immediately.
I made a new friend who was excited to share with me. He looked over at me and asked if I wanted to help him sort. “It’s more fun down here, isn’t it? I can teach you where these go,” he offered.
I made a new friend whose favorite things about himself are his freckles, despite what the kids at school say about them. He winked at his mom as we continued to sort the puzzle pieces. “I think your best thing is your smile. It is almost like my mom’s!” he remarked.
I made a new friend who is stronger than most adults I have met. He pointed at a puzzle piece and told me that he has “been sick since he was as tiny as this puzzle piece.”
I realized my new friend just wanted someone to include him in his case. As he recounted his story with vigor, he nodded toward his mother and critiqued, “Usually people like you only want to know what she has to say.”
My new friend showed me the scar on his head and the one across his chest. “I am proud of them,” he stated. “Mom told me I am the superstar of the family… but I think she does more than I do.” He shrugged.
I made a new friend who saw me as an ally. I was amazed at how quickly he trusted me; after all of the doctors he had met before me. “I am not afraid of you,” he said. “Mom says that you want to help me feel better, and mom is always right.”
My new friend had many questions and I did my best to explain why we were meeting. He looked at me with trusting brown eyes and asked, “So are you going to listen to my insides with your special headphones?” I nodded and he held his shirt up for me.
I made a new friend who found humor in a hard situation. “Did you hear any zebras in there?” His eyes were wide with excitement as I put my stethoscope back around my neck.
My new friend challenged me to adapt my exam routine and inspired me to work on my creativity. I let him try my “headphones” out on me. “I think you have some monkeys in you! Let’s see what mom has!” he cheered.
I made a new friend whose heartbeat was weak, but whose heart was full of kindness. As he held the bottle of gummy vitamins above his head, he exclaimed, “These are way cooler than the pills my mom tries to hide in my applesauce! I am going to make you my favorite snack sometime. I won’t put anything bad in it, don’t worry.”
When it was time to say goodbye to my new friend, he gave me a big squeeze and told me he thought we would be good friends. “Next time I will feed the zebras before we come so you can hear them better!”
Featured image:
zebra by SigNote Cloud