Urgent Care

Have you ever been to an Urgent Care type facility? You know the ones -- they're open 24 hours, are usually in a shopping center, have one do-it-all doctor on duty with a few nurses and an intake coordinator. There is one called Emerus right here on Highway 380 in front of Savannah that I have frequented for everything from a kidney stone to gout. Now I can't stand going to the doctor, but if I'm in bad enough shape I don't hesitate to go to Emerus. The staff at Emerus has always cared for and diagnosed me quickly and efficiently without judgment (I mean if you're going to judge somebody I'd think a 34 year old with gout would be a good place to start!).

Lately I find myself gravitating towards people that care for me quickly, efficiently and perhaps most importantly without judgment. I've been through a lot these past five months. This summer seemed to be just one crisis after another. I rarely got to enjoy something as simple as a Rangers game (Rangers in 5 #WorldSeries) or going to the lake. Couple each crisis with doses of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications and you've got yourself a party! Not really, it's miserable. How did I make it through?

Obviously the first answer is only by the grace of God. He never wavered nor abandoned me. He was always with me despite how I felt about Him or the circumstances of the day.

The second answer is close friends who care enough to get in my face when needed; enough to provide a tender touch on the shoulder or hug at just the right time (rule #1 [don't touch Dane] went out the window); enough to love and cherish me in such a way that they hurt when I hurt, they cry when I cry, they listen when I need to talk, they sit in silence when I just need to be around people in peace, they nurture me, they make sure I'm healthy, they are concerned with my son's well-being, they even make sure I don't mix up my medications in such a way that could cause some sort of reaction.

So take it from me, if you find people that care for you in these ways then my advice is to stick by them....forever. They might get frustrated with you from time-to-time, they might make you angry; but in the end they are the ones that stand by you. We all need people like that in our lives. All you have to do is look vertically to see the person who loves you most. When you look horizontally make sure what you see staring back at you in the eye is someone that cares.