Thankful Thursday

So there he was slightly propped on the hospital bed. He was wearing a hospital gown and a knitted bonnet that hid the indentation at the right side of his head where a part of the skull was once normally in place. He, who was once as active and lively as any regular guy I know. If not for that one tragic motorcycle accident.

Numerous tubes ran from some parts of his body to gizmos and gadgets in the corners of his bed. I understood they were oxygen and some monitoring devices; but those contraptions were more than that, they're a jarring reminder of how delicate life is.

By his side was his wife, who was speaking softly and telling him about his guests, while carefully and gently re-arranging stuffs around the bed. Needless to say, she’s gone through a lot of rough times.

On the other side of the room, separated by glass and glass door, was a nook for the ICU nurses- and I saw a couple of them- who would monitor the patient’s vital signs and who would immediately attend to his needs.

It was a gut-wrenching sight and I could only stare. Because that’s all I could do at that moment. I could even hardly breathe, much less speak.

That was a couple of weeks ago.

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Now, though more collected than that instant, I cannot deny that I still think about them, about that tragic accident that drastically changed his and his family’s lives, about how strong his wife is, about how lucky he is for having a persevering wife like her…I am actually thinking about them now and lots of other thoughts, too.

But more than anything else, I am thankful. So thankful that God has given her husband, my college friend another chance to live. That this friend is wonderfully fighting back. I am thankful that they are already out of the ICU, out of the hospital now. I am thankful that despite incurring an enormous hospital bill, there are people who are willing to help them settle their account. I am thankful for the wife for being patient and loving and persevering; she has truly inspired me. I am thankful that God is continuously giving her the strength to cope with Life’s difficulties. I am thankful for her family for helping her get through the rough times. For the doctors and nurses, who helped them while in the ICU. For people who are helping them everyday.

And thanks to her, and to him that I realized that there have been a lot of little yet significant things that I have only taken for granted.