When my oldest daughter and I went to Missouri to visit my cousin's children in St. Louis Children's Hospital, we decided to take a walk one morning. The doctors and nurses were busy with the kids doing rounds, and we needed a bit of fresh air. So, it was suggested we check out the rooftop garden. We rode the elevator down to level 8 (if my memory serves me correctly) and took a few minutes to ourselves, processing everything that was happening with K and E, my cousin's children who both have traumatic brain injuries after a horrific car accident. It was beautiful out on this rooftop garden.
Along the way, my daughter decided to crawl into one of the observation windows and quietly watch the ice skaters who were twirling around a pond in the distance. The hospital is located in the heart of St. Louis, but right across the street is a huge public park that is even bigger than Central Park in New York City. It was mesmerizing there in that window seeing all the ice skaters, all the trees in their autumn glory, all the undeveloped land in this beautiful park. You could almost believe you were somewhere else even for the slightest minute.
Not only is this rooftop garden a wonderful asset to the patients at the hospital, but it is also great for parents, family members, friends, and visitors to grab some air without having to go too far from the loved one who is in the hospital. It helps center you, being out among plants and beauty like that. It can rejuvenate a tired soul, giving a person strength to carry on just one more minute, one more day, one more week, one more month at the hospital.
Personally, I think every hospital should have clean, green spaces to offer the patients and families. Sometimes it is more healing than whatever medicine they could receive.
Hope you have a wonderful week gearing up for Christmas! I am actually a bit ahead of where I normally am this year and that is a blessing.
xo
A place of respite in the midst of chaos beautifully captured.
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