Last night around dinnertime Obi Wan-da started looking like she was headed south again. Concerned it might be the flu, I took her to one of those after hours pediatricians so I could get her started on Tamiflu within the 48 hour window.
It was clear from the parking lot that the waiting room was empty so I did a little happy dance in the car that we'd get out of there quickly. As I started getting Obi Wan-da out of the car I saw another car fly into the parking lot and park on the other side of the aisle and I'm not kidding you this is exactly what happened:
A little boy, maybe 8ish jumped out of the car and started running across the parking lot toward the clinic. I turned and saw his mom getting her stuff and another kid gathered up. As I got Obi Wan-da out of the van I thought, "Surely she's not doing what I think she's doing."
Oh yes she was.
This lady was sending her kid running through a grocery store parking lot AT NIGHT so she could get signed in before me. And I'm thinking, "Oh no you don't".
I picked Obi Wan-da up, walked (I admit at a brisk pace) and got through the clinic door just after the little boy did. I was just in time to see the receptionist shake her head at him and tell him that no they don't allow minors to sign themselves in. Right after I signed Obi Wan-da in his mom enters and gets exasperated that she risked her son getting hit by a car for nothing.
I understand the concept of triage and if this lady's kid had been very sick I knew the nurses would have rightly bumped him ahead of me. They didn't because he wasn't.
However, in the light of day I'm beginning to have second thoughts about how everything went down. Even though her child clearly wasn't in greater need of a physician than my child, maybe she had a greater need to get out of there quickly. I don't know her or her circumstances, but I know mine. Sure we would have been more comfortable getting out of there quickly, but I didn't have a job to get to. Did she? I had a loving husband holding down the fort while I was at the doctor. Did she?
Maybe she didn't have a pressing reason to get home. Maybe she simply wanted to watch the football game. I just know that I could've extended her some grace and I didn't. A simple, "You can go ahead of us if you need to" would probably have been the better course of action. I chose smug satisfaction instead. Lord help me to do better next time.
Turns out Obi Wan-da does not have the flu, just your run-of-the-mill viral cooties. And I got a case of conviction.
Do I get a lollipop too?
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6 comments:
Hope Obi Cutie Pie is feeling better soon.
Hey the "prove you're not a spammer" things is an actual word.... *mints*
I'm so glad I'm your bloggy friend. **Here's your lollipop -o **
But surely she would have known they wouldn't have signed him in without an adult unless there was an appt. I mean, they don't even give out freebie food to minors at Sam's.
Thank you for such a great reminder!
I'm glad she doesn't have the flu, I'm scared of the flu. :0)
Hindsight is 20/20...
I too am glad she didn't have the flu. My youngest had that 3 years ago and it wasn't fun especially the Tamiflu. Thank you for the reminder to extend grace - I needed that!
I think that merits a lollipop.
I know I get so caught up in myself that I get frustrated at people around me. I'm heartless. Thankfully--and frustratingly--my wife is kind and compassionate. She always reminds me of three or four possible reasons why this person did that. I grumble, and maybe, one day, I'll start thinking about others instead of me first.
~Luke
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