If you can't sing the rest of that title, then that means you have not seen the "The Music Man", and you don't know that people in Iowa are not nice. At least that's what seeing that show 40 or 50 times during your childhood would lead you to believe. I found out differently this week.
This is the end of a week that has had its share of ups and downs. It was, in fact, one week ago when I got a text from my (typically stoic...pain-wise) son.
Him: I have a sharp pain in my lower right abdomen. What all's in there?
I think..."Oh no....this can't be good"...
but I text: Could be lots of things..appendix, liver, kidneys...what's up?
The bad news is that he was on a road trip that was essentially exploratory-business in nature. (I made that category up...WHAT? You've never been on a trip that was EXPLORATORY BUSINESS?)
He was at that time almost to Kansas City. That was 482.5 miles from where I was sitting at the time of his first text. It was the first of many that evening. Each one was a little more desperate and a little farther from home (meaning ME).
By Des Moines, IA things had definitely not gotten any better and had in fact, gotten much worse. He was much less stoic. His voice (we were speaking by now) was coarse and clipped. He was more than a little embarrassed. He was in a vehicle with a woman he has just met that day. She had offered him this trip to introduce him to people in her corporation..one in the wind industry in which he is interested.
Clearly, this was not the first impression he had wanted to make. But by Cedar Rapids, his ego had gone out the door along with his pain theshold. They headed straight to the ER.
To cut to the chase (I pun), he had emergency surgery..appendectomy. St. Luke's hospital treated him like a prince, the precious young woman giving him entree to the wind industry stayed nearby and made sure everything was okay (Thanks, Rachel!). Then, a friend of a friend showed up at his bedside bearing Dr. Peppers, Nutter Butters, and magazines! (Thanks, Kristi!).
My attempts to get to him were foiled by the giant distance (805 miles) and the airline schedule. But it did start me thinking about the basic goodness of so many people. While I was far away, unable to sleep with worry about my baby boy...well, okay...my youngest child....God, whose plans and reach is much farther than my own measly ones, had it all handled. He had Chase exactly where he wanted him for this surgery and with exactly the doctor/hospital/caretakers that he should have had.
I deeply appreciate all the sweet people who cared for my son when they didn't have to. And who restored my faith and gave me a little nudge to keep an eye out for opportunities to do the same. What I have found is that since I have been looking, I have been able to fine those little opportunities everywhere.
And I'm finding that's a better way to live each day.
