It will be ok.

Whew!  The last few days have been a blur.  Sooo many things going on.  But, my husband is home from the hospital, and he's healing nicely.

I'm not sure which is harder - being the person having surgery, or being the person sitting in the waiting room waiting for the person having surgery.  Both are tough.

Anyway, sitting in the waiting room all those hours was...interesting.  It was a crowded waiting room, with lots of worried anxious people.  There were probably 20 people there.  Most everyone had a friend or a family member waiting with them, but there was another lady, besides me that was waiting alone.  She sat down right beside me and smiled.  I'm not one to talk to strangers.  I'm usually quiet and reserved, and yes - shy.  But, this lady began talking to me, and it felt so right and comfortable.

Her name was Marion.  She looked to be in her late 60's, but I later found out she was 82.  Mostly, we passed the time with small talk.  I learned that she had lived in the Seattle area all of her life.  She and her husband Walt had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary!  Walt was having hernia surgery that day.

After about 45 minutes of chatting with Marion, she looked at me with her kind deep blue eyes, and said, "If you don't mind me saying, young lady, you look like you have the weight of the world resting on your shoulders. There's something besides your husband's surgery you're thinking about, isn't there?"

I smiled, and answered,  "Yes, there is.  I'm sitting here in the quiet of this room without the distractions of work or my kids, and I'm left thinking and praying about this huge mountain I have to climb."

And then Marion, this kind, beautiful, wise woman I had just met, took my hand in hers.  She looked at me with those incredible eyes - I kept thinking they looked like little swimming pools.  They were sooo blue!  She said, "I've learned a lot in my 82 years. Some the easy way, and some the not-so-easy way.  But there's one important thing you need to know.  Whatever this is - facing you right now, you WILL BE OK on the other side.  You WILL be ok.  But, you need to pay attention.  You need to keep your heart open.  You need to learn what you're supposed to learn.  Because one day, God will put a hurting person in your path, like He did for me today.  And you will get to use your wisdom to guide this person.  This mountain?  It's there for you to climb.  The tears and sweat and pain required to climb it will be used later.  Pay attention!"

And she squeezed my hand.  And I cried.  And she smiled and she teared up with me.  We didn't say much after that.  But when Walt came out of surgery, before she got up, she gave me a hug and told me again, "It will be ok." 

I know it will.  I know it will be ok.