Life in front of the Carousaball

On Wednesday, Joshua had his final doctor's visit for his nicely healed elbow.  The cast came off  about 3 weeks ago and the visit was just to make sure that nothing weird was going on with his elbow.  This doctor's office is next door to the Dell Children's Hospital.  I have been there once with Samantha.  She needed a hearing test and was referred to a specialist at the hospital.  This was about 3 years ago and my daughter still remembered this:

Source

It is called Carousaball by George Rhoads.  This mesmerizing contraption is in the lobby of the hospital.  (More info can be found here.)  Sam begged to go and see it again.  So I figured, what the heck...let's go.  It's free and the kids will have fun.  Boy, was I in for an eye opener, and it had everything to do with the Carousaball.


While my kids did this...

-someone asked for directions to the chapel
-a teenaged boy walked in with crutches,  (I'm assuming) his mother and siblings in tow
-a girl, about Sam's age, was covered in bruises and bloody scabs.  She was in a wheel chair being pushed by a nurse.
-a young couple brought their 9 month old daughter to see the Carousaball.  The baby had a tube inserted into her nose.  The baby was more interested in my kids than the contraption. She laughed when Sam got close and waved.
-a man, about mid 30's, walked into the lobby, distraught and confused looking for his wife. I could tell he had been crying. My heart broke for this man.  I said a silent prayer for him.
-several men and women in business suits walked out...some talking on cell phones, others making lunch plans and one that was in a hurry to get somewhere quick.
-a hospital maintenance worker took a break outside, she just sat out on a bench despite the harsh Texas heat.  


In 30 minutes, right in front of the Carousaball, Life happened.   And I saw my kids laughing and running and pointing and watching and interacting with the Casousaball.  And they seemed so out of place in that hospital lobby.  And it is my prayer that it stay that way. I know that Life happens, but I really hope that I am never a parent walking through that lobby to get to my child upstairs. The only reason that I ever want to visit again is to see my kids captivated by the little blue balls of the Casousaball.  Next time I will join in the laughing and running and pointing and watching and interacting with my kids.