A dose of reality

To Lane and Melinda.

   Today I was signing a couple of my clients to a purchase agreement on a house one was selling and the other was buying. They both work at the same hospital so it made my job easy. As I sat signing the first client, the buyer, she noted that I looked a little down and ask why. I told her that things were tough and I had to work extra jobs to make ends meet. I commented that our jobs must be similar in dealing with people and emotions. She simple agreed and the told me about her first 4 hours of work so far that day.

   A young man, about 42 years old, had come in that morning complaining about not feeling well. They proceeded to do some tests but every one came up negative. No signs or evidence of any problems. By noon, the man had died leaving behind 2 young children and his young wife. She continued to explain to me what a "code blue" was, which is a critical adult emergency, of which they have had 4 so far today. Then she told me about the "code pink" she had, which is an infant dying. And the day wasn't even half over.

   I ask her how she did it and she said, "it's my job, some days it's easy and some days push you to the limit... but I love it".

   Next I went up to the surgery waiting room where I met the seller for her signatures. She looked tired and exhausted, but she still managed a smile. She works in the respiratory unit of the hospital. She had been there since 6:30am that morning and it was now about 3:00pm. She was getting ready for the second part of her schedule. She hurried and signed her documents and then sat back in her chair to relax for a moment. She said that the last two hours of the day had been hell. She didn't go into any details but you could tell from the look on her face that it had to have been stressful. Every day she is saving lives and every doctor, nurse and patient depends on her to make the right decisions.

   Today I met two individuals that go to work and do the jobs that they were trained to do and they never give it a second thought, they don't have time. Their emotions are pushed to the limit and they are physically drained by the end of their shifts. And yet, every day they get up and go to work not knowing what they will have to deal with or if they will be saving a life. Nobody will ever know their names or even care about who they are, yet without them many of us could die.

   Thank you Lane and Melinda. I have been truely humbled by who you are.

Tim