Just like that, in a moment, something changes for the better, and a problem is washed away as though it had never existed. Incredulity mixed with cautious relief replaces the tension you might not have even realized was there. It starts to sink in, and gratitude replaces frustration, fear, or doubt.
Have you ever experienced such a moment? They may mark the resolution of a problem so big as to be life-threatening or perhaps just a minor annoyance that has caused discouragement over time. Yet the reaction when, just like that, the problem is gone, is the same — It’s hard to believe that it’s over.
For instance, as a simple example, Michael’s job requires him to do a lot of writing. He used to be able to type with both hands, but after he came home from his 7-week hospital stay with a weaker body and worsened curve of his spine, he couldn’t put both of his hands up to type on the computer. So when he started working again, it was painstaking. He kept calling me over to type things for him, and that got old pretty fast. It was frustrating for both of us for weeks. I had doubts about his ability to continue providing for us, and I despaired that I would have to sit next to him every day for eight hours, typing for him. Every additional loss of independence brings grief and sorrow.
However, one day I realized something. You see, he used to be able to double-click a particular key to activate the dictation feature. So I asked him if he was able to change the key to something he could reach with his one hand. He figured out how to do it, and just like that, he regained his independence to work, and my hope for his future was restored.
The other instance that comes to mind is when Michael was in the hospital with life-threatening internal bleeding. A period of a handful of days dragged into an exhausting, horrifying interminable length of time as doctors tried several times to fix the problem with only short-lived success. Finally, a specialist came up with a unique solution, took him to do the procedure, and came back to me saying it was fixed. Incredible!
What’s a “just like that” moment you remember experiencing?
One reply on “Just Like That?”
Very precious post. That was a really scary time when Michael was going back and forth between the hospitals. Iām very thankful for that doctor and thankful that you were there advocating for him. And so cool that the keyboard could be modified to make it work. ššā¤ļø