" The room was filled with friends and families, surrounding the patients' bed. All except one.. She hasnt got any visitors ever since the day she was being admitted. The nurse approached her, "is everything ok? if u need anything, do press the call bell." She gave a slight smile on her face and replied a thank you. The nurse sense something not quite right, but decided not to probe further.
After when the crowd went away, the nurse came in to check on her patients again. Her eyes was fixed at bed 5... The rest were asleep except for her. She sat with her knees crouching close to her body. She sat there thinking. The nurse walks towards her, "it's the wee hours of the morning, why arent you asleep. A penny for your thoughts?"
"What does a family means to you, missy?"
"Someone who cares and loves you.Kin that will understand and go thru thick n thin with you."
She muttured softly, " nobody cares..."
The nurse became more concerned. "Why did u say so?"
"Ever since I'm here, no one have visited."
Tears overwhelmed her eyes.
"My dad n mum barely bothers about me. They dote on my brothers better, probably cos i'm a girl. Each night, i'm asked to stay in the room to study. Whenever i'm studying, i can hear laughters and conversations from the rest of the family that are sitting outside in the living room. I felt so left out. But no one can comprehend. Whenever i tried to share with my friends about it, they are never free because they are always occupied with their own cliques. I'm left all alone and no one to turn to. I dun feel the love and care i deserve. Sometimes i think that i'm not even part of the family. I'm devastated."
The nurse wanted to help, but she was dumbfounded. She pats on her back, hoping that that will cheer her up somehow. The nurse tried to change her pessimistic thinking, but to no avail.
The nurse spent some quiet moments with her, and soon after, walks away. She sat at the nurses' counter pondering about the questions raised a while ago."What does a family means to you?"
In fact, she barely even know what it meant. Her family isn't as bad as her patient's. But the bond isn't there. Her family were just like tenants living with her. Just exchanged ocassional conversations. But most of the times were fights and quarrels.
She reflected.
Seeing the big groups of friends and families her patients have, made her feel guilty. "I want to cherish my family. I want to change things, but..." "
It sure takes lots of courage and determination to make a difference. What does family means to you? A friend ever asked me, "how much time in a day do u spend with them?"
A time to think and reflect upon...
