The Waiting Room
It’s a lonely place
where I must face
my grownup childhood fears.
Surrounded by others,
I feel alone and nervous
about what’s to come.
It’s a gathering place
for family and friends
where memories are shared
and regrets embraced.
It’s where goodbyes are said
to someone who cannot return the farewell.
It’s a sacred place
where earth and heaven meet.
As faith and hope hold hands,
mortality gives way to immortality.
It’s where the mystery of eternal light
provides illumination amid the shadows to approach God with confidence.
It’s holy ground.
The waiting room
provides a front row seat
as the drama of life and death
is played out
on the elevated stage
of a hospice bed
while a loved one
takes one last curtain call.
The waiting room
is a difficult place to be.
But there is no place
I would rather be.
It is an awesome privilege
to shepherd this one
who escorted me into this world
into the next.
Lord, give me grace for the journey
and the means to cherish each remaining moment with my mom.