Misty

I've never been the kind of person to hide my emotions. But as I age, my tears and my anger seem closer to the surface.

I just watched a video from Iowa City.

There is a new children's hospital next to the campus of the University of Iowa. The top floor of the hospital looks down on every inch of the Iowa football stadium.

Months ago, even before the hospital was open, a nurse realized hospitalized children and their parents could watch the home games from that top, open floor.

She sent her idea for a wave from the crowd at sometime during the game to the children on the top floor to a U of Iowa website. It caught on.

Between the first and second quarters all 68,000 fans and both teams wave to the kids.

The video was of a 6 year old boy who had a heart transplant 44 days before and has been in hospital for 295 days. Hooked up to all sorts of things, his parents took him to the 12th floor. His reaction, even wearing a mask to block out germs, was so priceless I wept.

I went down to tell Bern about it and had to stop twice before I got it all out.

It was so wonderful and grace-filled and amazing.

The boy's kidneys shut down during his heart  problems and he is on a 17 hour a day pediatric dialysis treatment. His mother has slept at home 2 nights only since he's been in the hospital.

So much suffering and yet so much courage and so much love.

Hard not to weep typing this....

And why not, beloved, tears can be of joy and healing.