So today I'm hang'n out at Quest Diagnostics waiting for someone to remove some of my precious blood from my body when in walks Dee (Doris). She's guided in by her very supportive husband. Dee's head is bent to the left and seems heavy for her frail body. At first glance I'm aware that Dee is not well (yes I know I'm in a lab, duh). Despite her mundane demeanor she seems heavy hearted. I think to myself "should I be overly outgoing and strike up a random conversation to get the scoop?" "no play it cool". My next thought hits me like a wave? "I think Dee knows what it is to suffer." Perhaps I thought that since the whole time I was spying on her she never stood straight, never smiled, and looked like she hadn't slept in days. I continue to pretend to play solitaire on my nifty blackjack II phone as I watch Dee. She turns to her husband and says "I'm so tired of this" and with that begins to cry. He gently gets up and begins looking for a tissue. Now hubby seems like the gatekeeper and from what I gather has plenty of history 'protecting' Dee. Hubby decides to go to the car for tissue and I seize the moment to make eye contact. Dee looks at me again and apologetically exclaims her exhaustion. I ask her whats aligning her and she proceeds to roll out the list. To summarize Dee needs surgery again on her esophagus where they will need to collapse it for a 2nd time, she has no stomach, only one kidney left from surviving cancer, a permanent IV in her left arm which caused her to trip and brake her neck this last week, and finally she's back getting tested for cancer again. OKAY what do you say after that that doesn't sound lame and half hearted??? As she cries and continues to apologize for her displays of emotion I simply reply that it's refreshing to see emotion and sometimes we just need to let it out. She informs me that she has had serious health issues for the last 14 years. Umm, yeah I'd be tired too. As Dee leaves I wonder about healing, suffering, sickness, Christ, and people. I'm not sharing this so you feel bad for Dee or to give you insight into my own inabilities to communicate, but because the truth is: There's a lot of people out there hurting for a lot of different reasons. Most of you who read this today will connect with Dee on some level; whether it's feelings of hopelessness, exhaustion, illness, weakness, frustration, pain, desperation, or so on. Dee's pain just happens to manifest in physical ways. So maybe this week we can take some time to ask each other how things are going, or confide in someone about the pain we're experiencing, or perhaps even take some time and pray for Dee.