I got to do something the average person might think as surprising.
I played monopoly for an entire hour.
Uninterrupted, we played monopoly in the oncology clinic for an hour.
While a patient waited for treatment/to see the doctor/for a procedure, we played monopoly and then moved onto making crafts.
And in that moment of playing a simple board game, I realized, "This could be my job someday! Playing monopoly!"
How cool is that?
Very- if you ask me!
Because in that moment, all the boy needed was someone to play with and something to keep his mind off of what he was waiting to do. And where he was. And that he was sick.
During that hour, I was able to bring a smile to his face,
act goofy and silly,
made sure he wasn't changing the rules (the stinker!),
made up weird words,
sang,
laughed,
and hammed it up!
All for a great cause :)
In those moments, I was able to remember that God didn't give me the gift of being overwhelmingly talented with talking to adults, but with talking with kids.
With that gift, I can inspire, distract, teach, excite, humor, energize, mold, pretend, be silly, and love on some kids who need it a lot! Thanks for that God! .amen.
and now onto my main reason for typing this here post:
Volunteering/working at a children's hospital means that a normal day can include any of the following:
-playing an adapted form of monopoly (or any other board game)
-making a collage out of teen magazines
-tracing horses straight out of a book
-playing computer games
-playing bingo
-winning awesome bingo prizes
-learning how to play video games
-being totally and completely crushed by a little kid at said video games
-apologizing for being horr.i.ble at said video games
-holding a t w o w e e k o l d baby (that is just craziness people!)
-walking about 3 miles up and down stairs, over entire units, outside, inside, upside, downside (you get the picture)
-rushed someone back to their room (about a floor, two units, and 15 rooms away). just to pee. ah!
-as an adult, dressing up for Halloween and walking a parade route
-going on a Halloween parade and getting candy from nurses, doctors, and other nice hospital staff
-painting someone's nails
-petting volunteer dogs
-reading countless books
-watching little-kid tv shows/movies
-praying over little babies
-gowning, masking, and gloving up to hold/be with little (& big) ones
-using Purell 52trillionbilliongazillionmamillion times in just.one.hour.
-making paper crafts
-making sugar cookies
-painting
-racing cars
-playing Barbies/Star Wars/Cars/fill-in-the-blank with a popular kids toy/movie/show
-playing candyland
-making towers with Jenga blocks
-passing out toys/blankets/slippers/hats/costumes to kids
-decorated for holidays
-sung songs
-talked about favorites (color/hobby/friend/day/candy/food/pet)
-learned how to make tabouli (from a 5 year-old no less!)
-watched kids grow up
-seen battered/worn down/and wiped out kids, families, visitors, and staff
-witnessed 'accidents'
-witness temper tantrums
-discipline bad behavior (no, it is not okay to say those words in a room filled with kids 4 years younger than you! say darn it- or that makes me mad)
-comfort lonely/sick/frightened/tired/bored/frustrated kids
-loved on kids
-& most importantly:
shared God's love & joy with kids, parents, employees, and visitors
siigh. I love it!
No comments:
Post a Comment