1/
Reflections on #FathersDay
One day as I was preparing to discharge this twenty-ish year-old gentleman from the hospital, he told me he was having a baby soon:
Him: "You got kids, Dr. Manning?"
Me: "Yep. Two sons."
Him: "They grown? Like my age?"
Me: "Nah. 11 and 13.”
Reflections on #FathersDay
One day as I was preparing to discharge this twenty-ish year-old gentleman from the hospital, he told me he was having a baby soon:
Him: "You got kids, Dr. Manning?"
Me: "Yep. Two sons."
Him: "They grown? Like my age?"
Me: "Nah. 11 and 13.”
2/
Him: *eyes widen* "Damn. Doctors be waiting to have they kids."
Me: "Dang! So what you sayin’?”
Him: “I mean...uh what I meant was. . “
*laughter*
Me: "You excited about being a dad?"
Him: "Very. But it scare me, too."
Me: "What part?"
Him: "Getting it right."
*silence*
Him: *eyes widen* "Damn. Doctors be waiting to have they kids."
Me: "Dang! So what you sayin’?”
Him: “I mean...uh what I meant was. . “
*laughter*
Me: "You excited about being a dad?"
Him: "Very. But it scare me, too."
Me: "What part?"
Him: "Getting it right."
*silence*
3/
Him: "Miss Manning? You think if you ain't have no good daddy, you can be one to your kid?"
*thinking*
Me: "I think there's a lot of good daddies out there who are the first good daddies in their family."
Him: "Yeah?”
Me: “Yeah.”
*silence*
Him: "Miss Manning? You think if you ain't have no good daddy, you can be one to your kid?"
*thinking*
Me: "I think there's a lot of good daddies out there who are the first good daddies in their family."
Him: "Yeah?”
Me: “Yeah.”
*silence*
4/
Him: "Hope I got what it take to be a good daddy."
Me: "You do. You got love."
Him: "Take more than love."
Me: “Yeah. But love make you try.”
Him: *slow nod*
He leaned over to tie his sneaker and pulled the draw string closed on the plastic bag with his personal items.
Him: "Hope I got what it take to be a good daddy."
Me: "You do. You got love."
Him: "Take more than love."
Me: “Yeah. But love make you try.”
Him: *slow nod*
He leaned over to tie his sneaker and pulled the draw string closed on the plastic bag with his personal items.
5/
Me: “You know? One time I screwed up something with one of my kids. It wasn’t life or death but I felt pretty bad.”
Him: *listening*
Me: “One of patients—he was a Grady elder with grown kids & grands—gave me some of the best parenting advice ever.”
Me: “You know? One time I screwed up something with one of my kids. It wasn’t life or death but I felt pretty bad.”
Him: *listening*
Me: “One of patients—he was a Grady elder with grown kids & grands—gave me some of the best parenting advice ever.”
6/
Me: “He said, ‘Show up best you can with a full heart. And be ALL IN when you get there.’”
Him: “Damn. That’s a good word.”
Me: “Right? So simple, too. He told me “Long as your kids know they cherished and in the front of your mind? They gon’ be just fine.’”
*silence*
Me: “He said, ‘Show up best you can with a full heart. And be ALL IN when you get there.’”
Him: “Damn. That’s a good word.”
Me: “Right? So simple, too. He told me “Long as your kids know they cherished and in the front of your mind? They gon’ be just fine.’”
*silence*
7/
Him: "That's what your daddy did, huh?"
Me: "What?"
Him: "Showed up. And cherished you. I can tell."
Me: *silence*
Him: “That’s what I want. For somebody to see my kid and know.”
He changed the subject after that. I asked if he had other questions for me. He said no.
Him: "That's what your daddy did, huh?"
Me: "What?"
Him: "Showed up. And cherished you. I can tell."
Me: *silence*
Him: “That’s what I want. For somebody to see my kid and know.”
He changed the subject after that. I asked if he had other questions for me. He said no.
8/
As I stood up to leave, I looked at him and spoke.
Me: “Listen to me, little brother. You’ve GOT this, okay?”
Him: “Would you pray for me? To do okay?”
Me: “I’m a person who prays so I will. I promise.”
I paused for a moment. Then I abruptly walked back over to him.
As I stood up to leave, I looked at him and spoke.
Me: “Listen to me, little brother. You’ve GOT this, okay?”
Him: “Would you pray for me? To do okay?”
Me: “I’m a person who prays so I will. I promise.”
I paused for a moment. Then I abruptly walked back over to him.
9/
Me: “Umm... so I have a quick prayer I speak over my husband every day. You okay getting that prayer right now?”
Him: *nods* “I’d love that.”
*eyes closed*
Me: “Keep Your hand upon this man. And shield his life from the enemy’s knife. Amen.”
Him: “Wow. That was quick.”
Me: “Umm... so I have a quick prayer I speak over my husband every day. You okay getting that prayer right now?”
Him: *nods* “I’d love that.”
*eyes closed*
Me: “Keep Your hand upon this man. And shield his life from the enemy’s knife. Amen.”
Him: “Wow. That was quick.”
10/
*laughter*
Him: “But all I need to win.”
Me: “Yup.”
Hmm. These rules apply to us as doctors, too.
1. Show up best you can with a full heart.
2. Be all in when you get there.
3. Make sure they feel cherished and at the front of your mind.
And let love push you to try.
*laughter*
Him: “But all I need to win.”
Me: “Yup.”
Hmm. These rules apply to us as doctors, too.
1. Show up best you can with a full heart.
2. Be all in when you get there.
3. Make sure they feel cherished and at the front of your mind.
And let love push you to try.
11/
For some, it will be worrying so much about you that it means reading in the middle of the night.
For others, it will be remembering the names of your grandkids.
And just maybe? It might be in the form of a short-but-sweet prayer uttered for you at the bedside.
For some, it will be worrying so much about you that it means reading in the middle of the night.
For others, it will be remembering the names of your grandkids.
And just maybe? It might be in the form of a short-but-sweet prayer uttered for you at the bedside.
12/
Last I checked, my patient was doing well. And that sweet baby of his is probably walking, talking, and working an iPad by now.
Tonight I spoke that same prayer for him. Again.
Happy Father’s Day to every dad. And may people see your kids and know.
❤️
#hewasrightaboutmine
Last I checked, my patient was doing well. And that sweet baby of his is probably walking, talking, and working an iPad by now.
Tonight I spoke that same prayer for him. Again.
Happy Father’s Day to every dad. And may people see your kids and know.
❤️
#hewasrightaboutmine
