You Never Know

Yesterday, Wed. Jan 6th, we were at Vanderbilt for Bobby's second chemo. Before the chemo. treatment we had a doctor's appointment. While waiting for the appointment with Bobby's oncologist I noticed something.

First of all the appointment was scheduled for 10:15 a.m. We actually saw the doctor at 12:15. Yes, that was a TWO hour wait. Of course, that was frustrating, but if not for that wait, I would have missed something. Something that I think God wanted me to see.

You see a lot when you're waiting to see an oncologist(cancer doctor).

The place was packed yesterday. The waiting room was spilling over out into the hallway area that also has an area for waiting. We ended up in that hallway area. Bobby and I were talking while we waited, but then I also had my trusty Ipod shuffle (I'm getting a "big girl" Ipod soon) with me and decided to put one of the earpieces in and listen. A young girl went by. Actually she was an adult woman, but at my age I call just about everyone in their 20's and 30's girl or boy. I didn't really pay much attention. I looked up a little while later and she was standing in the area where patients check in. I could see her body and hair, but not her face. What I noticed was she was dressed really cute with jeans and boots and her hair was gorgeous. I thought to myself how pretty her hair was. She had long auburn color hair and it was stunning. I assumed she was there with a patient.

Anyway, I went on with listening to my Ipod and talking to Bobby and waiting and when I looked back up, she was gone.

FINALLY, we were called back to see the doctor. The appointment went really well and the doctor was very honest, yet encouraging. When we left his office we had to go back up front and schedule Bobby's next appointment. While waiting to do that, this "girl "came around the corner with who I assume was her husband. That's when I saw her from the front. She was a very cute "girl" probably about 22-25 years old. Her hair was gorgeous just like I said, but that's when I noticed something that I had not seen earlier. Her hair was not HER hair. It was a WIG. She was the cancer patient. She was the one that had lost HER hair and had on a wig. She had not been there with a patient like I had assumed earlier, she was the cancer patient.

I said earlier that there was something that I believe God wanted me to see. It wasn't just a young lady in a wig he wanted me to see.

He wanted me to see that I never know what's going on with someone by just a quick glance. We can never tell by looking at what is on the outside what may be going on on the inside.

Here was this beautiful head of hair, but underneath there was no hair. What's really underneath the people I see everyday. Am I taking the time to find out? Soooo many times I do not. Most of the time I do not.

This was not something new that I saw, it was just another reminder to me to listen better, to take notice more, and to linger longer.

I realize that none of us can "save the world." We cannot help everyone. But in 2006 I found a quote that says, "everyone cannot do everything, but everyone can do something".

I have to ask myself the question again TODAY, "who is in my life that I need to listen to more, ask deeper questions of, LINGER WITH?"