Eye can see clearly now

A long time ago a little boy climbed into a big chair in the Opthalmology Department
at Children's Hospital to get his eyes checked.  His little feet way off the ground.

Vision.  

20/200...only one eye working. 

Yesterday a tall, lanky boy climbed into that same chair which had to be lowered so the Opthalmologist could see into his eyes.

Vision

20/50...both eyes working. 

I have said it here before that I am ever SO grateful for the incredible care David has had 
Children's Hospital under Dr. Lyons.  We went through years of patching, surgery and spent hours in that busy waiting room waiting for pupils to dilate.

So it came as quite a shock when Dr. Lyons told us yesterday we have aged out of this program.

I was so surprised I said "You're kicking us out?" to which, in his ever gentle manner, he said "David is graduating".  And so it was over.  We said our thank you's, remembered that small boy together, and were reassured we can return there if we are ever concerned.

I felt a bit adrift.  

I tried to pull myself together and I reflected on why I was feeling so sad.  

I realised a few things (all in the space of time it took to walk through the sideways rain and howling wind to the car where I had grossly overpaid for parking never thinking we'd be done so soon)..... I had come to feel safe at this place, a place that has so often cared so well for my children.  I was feeling a little scared to leave.  

I was also feeling scared that it meant my children were not little children anymore - a fact which is visibly obvious, but sometimes it takes a Mama's heart a little time to catch up to reality.  No more children's hospital....GULP.

And last, but certainly not least,  I realised I was going to miss this time with David.  He and I have spent so many hours driving to and from Children's, sitting waiting, sometimes for hours.  When they dilated his pupils we had to wait for them to fully dilate and we developed a tradition of walking through the hospital grounds to the Starbucks where he would have a hot chocolate and I would have a coffee and we would split an Oat Fudge Bar before going back to wait for round two of the appointment.

So as we drove out of Children's after our shortest appointment ever I could have got him to school and me back to work earlier than expected but I decided we needed one last Starbucks moment.  So we found one, he had hot chocolate and I had a coffee.  Sadly no oat fudge bars but banana loaf instead.  We fist bumped and then hugged each other. 

It's been a journey.  An amazing outcome. 

#grateful.