I took my dad to an eye doctor’s appointment today. The morning consisted of checking in, waiting, answering questions, eye exam, getting eye drops, waiting, more extensive exam, waiting, and finally talking with the doctor. The waiting area was jammed packed full of people – mostly senior citizens – going through the same ritual as we were. It was like a little community and was interesting watching people interact. There were several pop up conversations  about jobs and children and grandchildren. People were watching out for one another, listening for names as they were called, and even gently waking those who were napping. They congratulated one another when it was finally their turn to see the doctor. The woman in the wheelchair got extra support as she was wheeled from place to place – evidently her caregiver left for the duration and would come back to pick her up later. People were comparing their diagnosis and treatments. There was a woman who had a service dog in training. She told us and those around us that she was diabetic and the puppy was learning to alert her if she was having a problem. The 5 month old golden doodle was so cute and well-behaved, but was growing impatient. The 3-hour experience wasn’t all that bad as we knew ahead of time what to expect and everyone in the room was patient and kind. As for my dad, the doctor found a couple of things that he wants to monitor – so we will be back in 4-6 weeks to do it all over again.

I Found God today in a room full of kind and patient people.