I had to go to the hospital where Mary died this week. A quick and mundane errand that I felt prepared for. It was satisfying to see the lot where I first parked to get Mary into the Emergency Department torn up and covered in rumble.
But as I approached the information desk in the main lobby, ghosts floated in around me. Family and friends who I had run into during my infrequent times away from Mary’s side were sitting or pacing the wide space.
My chest tightened as the quick and mundane errand stretched into, “Have a seat and I’ll take a look as soon as I can.”
My sons smiled and shared a story about playing Battleship at one of the couches. I looked at the ghosts and understood that so many of them weren’t with me any longer. I realized that I would walk out of there and they could not. I felt the pain that was there and knew it would not follow me.
God bless and thank you for reading,
Jason