Hi there, friends. I had plans for a helpful post today, one about how it seems nearly impossible that our people need to eat three times a day and how insane that is. But then life happened.

Specifically, my Dad was driving along on his motorcycle and a deer ran out from a field and hit him. In broad daylight. Apparently the deer didn’t get the memo that deer have the twilight hours and we get the daytime? Come on deer. That’s just not cool.

Thankfully, Dad is going to be just fine. The deer… well let’s just say it’s in deer heaven. We don’t even know if it was a doe or a buck (and I totally asked my mom if it was a boe or a duck… it’s been a wild few days). Dad doesn’t remember and we haven’t asked the friend who was riding with him.

So, as you can imagine, we’ve been spending some time at the hospital over the past few days. Honestly, it’s been pretty awesome, all things considered. I know, I know, hospitals are big scary places with lions and tigers and bears. But you know, those lions and tigers and bears are there to help you, to heal you. After all, hospitals are the places miracles happen.

We’ve had some fiercely protective nurses who are gonna page all the doctors so we can know all the things. These mama bears have taken us in as their cubs and we have been grateful. What a gift it is to smile and be sweet and firm. What a gift it is to have strong, smart and extremely talented doctors show up quickly with information and sit at your bedside to talk you through what is going on because of those mama bears. No roaring necessary, just confidence and patience. What gifts they are.

And those doctors, they are everywhere. They are the lions of the hospital, the kings (and queens) of the jungle as it were. Those lions have gone to school for decades to learn how to care for us. They have completed medical school, residencies, fellowships, internships and continue to study and practice to improve their knowledge and skills. They have dedicated their lives to the service of others. They not only fix broken bodies and watch organs heal, they also comfort grumpy patients and tired and scared family members. What gifts they are.

That leaves the residents, trainees, medical students and fellows as the tigers. They are the ones prowling the hospital at all hours, learning all they can, caring for their first patients, caring for each other. They are the ones watching the lions, watching the bears, watching the patients. Then showing each other what they’ve learned, encouraging each other, applying their new skills. What gifts they are.

Alongside these lions, tigers and bears are hundreds of professionals all working together to heal our loved ones, deliver our babies and keep us all safe. The child life specialists, patient navigators, patient advocates, social workers and therapists (physical, occupational and mental health professionals) all work to heal and help us. What gifts they are.

I love hospitals. What gifts they are.

What about you? Are hospitals happy places for you?