I was at a hospital visit and was riding in the elevator with 5 other folks.  Something hit me.  Life is a lot like that elevator ride.  People come into your life and then right back out.  Some are going the same direction, others are going in the opposite direction.  Elevators in hospitals are fool of people going through major storms in their life and yet many times they just get on the elevator as stoic as Johnny Chan at table in a big hand.  No words, no tears, no conversation.  The pain is just pushed down.  For many in life this is what they do with their struggles, heart ache and fear.  They just hide it.  People are around you.  Maybe they could help or at least listen or maybe cry with you or laugh or something, but like the elevator it takes effort to take someone just going through life with you and turn that into a relationship. 

Others are overcome with joy.  The person made it.  The procedure worked.  And yet, like real life, the emotion are hidden in the elevator.  No celebrating with someone else.  No high fives.  Just still and reserved.  I have known people that life is giving them buckets full of lemonade and yet they just internalize the joy.  Ding.

We hit the third floor.  A doctor walks in.  He is there to help those hurting and serve the loved ones who care about those hurting.  Yet, in his face, you can see it.  He sees the whole cycle and deal of hurt so much, he is numb to it.   Not much different from some of us in our lives.  Here we go aain is what we think.  Or I have seen it before.  Or this was inevitable.  We just get numb to the things that should move us to tears or to laughter. 

Ding.  The door opens.  On to the next thing.