On Day +2 I was moved into a private room, and on Day +3 I wrote this poem.
There is a tree outside of my hospital window,
Green with light dancing through its gentle leaves.
I watch it against the deep blue sky
And the austere structure of the Stanford hospital and clinic.
What opposites —
But how they both exist to create such life force.
A cherry tree,
hovers below the canopy of the green beauty,
With cherry blossoms lightly dancing in the sunlight
as the hummingbirds play quickly in their wake.
Beautiful flowers of white, pink, yellow and blue fill the garden
as I peer out my hospital window …
I cannot go outside today.
It will be a while they say.
But I will be there, dancing in the garden too
With the trees, the cherries, the flowers… And my dreams come true.
By Deborah Hubsmith
3-22-14
So beautiful, Deb. Even if you can’t be out in nature right now, I’m glad you have a lovely view outside your window. Praying for you daily!
Deb –you are such an inspiration! I was diagnosed with AML as well on February 20, 2014 and this is my second day home from the hospital (Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.) My transplant remains in front of me but I know I will survive–just as you will. I look forward to working with you again not only on Safe Routes to School but on making bicycling and walking mainstream transportation programs. Let’s keep in touch as we both recover and realize that we have an obligation to make the world a better place as a result of the experience. One more note–I am good friends with Helen Bing, wife of Peter Bing–former Chair of Stanford Board. Helen believes deeply in personal support. She realized the importance of people seeing landscapes out of hospital windows as an aid to recovery. She made it a goal for Stanford Medical Center to create green space seen from every room at the hospital. Your poem about trees from your window prove her point–David Burwell, co-founder, Rails to Trails Conservancy.
God allows the Springtime to refresh the earth and we pray He will refresh your body for the seasons to come.