What’s Uncertainty if Not a Breeding Ground for Warmth?

Love and warmth can come from unexpected places.

Simultaneity of growth and decay; photo by the author

A hospital visit humbles you. Waiting hours for your appointment, watching others face even bigger health problems than what brought you to the hospital, the fragility of life, the greediness of career, and everything in between, hits you all at once.

Apart from the grief attached to the hospital visits, it often brings moments of kindness.

In my teens, my face developed serious allergic reactions. It would feel like a sharp knife was cutting through my face as soon as the face dried.

I visited a doctor and explained my issue. He, sensing my demotivation that stemmed from many failed treatments, calmed me down with one simple sentence:

“We’ll fix your pain and scars in a month. Don’t worry.”

My allergy improved after a month’s medication. It was only then the doctor informed me that blemishes might take about 5 months for complete recovery.

Looking back at my emotional teenage self and the doctor’s response, I sense his strategy to calm me down when I was stressing out more than necessary.

More than the treatment, what helped was how he convinced me that my allergy was curable.

When other doctors talked about how long it might take, he focused on what was in control right now.

A flower bouquet welcomed us in 106°F; photo by the author

In the clinic, when I wait for my regular skincare appointment, I often come across patients suffering from respiratory, heart, or stomach issues waiting for their appointment with the corresponding doctors.

Once, a woman in her sixties who was barely able to breathe properly was sitting beside me. She asked me what brought me to the hospital. I told her.

I was almost embarrassed when she asked me why I came to the hospital. My problem, the regular visit to the dermatologist, seemed minuscule in comparison with her. I downplayed it.

But she was different. She considered the problem as a problem. Then, she passed on what she knew.

She informed me about a herb that improves skin. Home remedies do not suit my skin, but I was so touched by the woman’s kindness that, despite having serious complications, she wanted to help me out in whatever way she could.

Thus, it’s the hospital that shows us the value of life. And it’s also the hospital that shows us the invisible bonds of kindness and warmth we share with our fellow humans.

Perhaps, a hospital is a metaphor we can use for everything uncertain in career, health, and relationships. And, perhaps, like hospitals in every walk of life, we can attest that:

What’s uncertainty if not the breeding ground of warmth?