Waiting Room

The journey of a pediatric cancer caregiver

You are sitting, waiting, in a big waiting room
waiting for them to call your child in
Or, waiting for your child to be out of a procedure

You look around at shuffling faces, lost in their thoughts
Some sitting uncomfortably, fidgeting with their iPhones, getting up every time a staff looks at them

I want to go and make a conversation…
But what do I say?
What do I ask?
What can I offer in terms of solace?
What do I share from my experience?

This is one socially awkward place where familiarity doesn’t pay,
experience doesn’t bode well, words of encouragement and hope feel pretentious
How do I strike a conversation?
Do I want to let them know that I have been there and done that just to find out that their pain is greater than mine?

Do I really want to know?

Do they really want to hear what I have to say?

I think I will just stay put, and let them figure it out for themselves.