It was Saturday midday and I had just finished seeing patients and doing procedures. I’d gone back to my call room to have something to drink and sit down for a moment (it’s too hard to carry my water bottle and drink when I have to keep a mask on all the time). I was flipping through my coaching assignment for the week when my work phone rang. It was my partner who would be coming in later to do the night shift. She said she was on top of the parking deck across from Labor and Delivery, and that the Blue Angels were about to do a flyover in honor of health care workers, so I should come out to watch with her.
The view from the call room at the hospital – nice when I get to be there!
I didn’t have anything to do for the moment, and the hospital could call if they needed me, so I headed over to the parking deck. Now, I have to admit my ignorance: I really didn’t know who the Blue Angels were. But I figured they had to be some sort of military flying squadron if they were doing a flyover, but I googled them as I walked to be sure. Yep, I was right! The Blue Angels are an elite aerobatic flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. I’d never seen fighter jets up close, so I picked up my pace and found the elevator to the top of the parking deck.
There were lots of people gathering on the rooftops, mostly nurses or other healthcare workers, many who’d come in off shift to watch the demonstration. Everyone was good about staying in their family groups and social distancing, many were wearing masks, and even some of the nurses I work with had been able to come out on their break to watch. There were kids and older people, and even a group of bikers on Harley’s had come up to observe. People had pulled off of the highway and were parked on the off-ramps to see the show. I wandered for a moment, then I found my partner and waited by the railings to see what would happen.
There was a buzz of excitement in the air. Everyone was waiting with anticipation and watching the skies. Then I heard someone say, “Here they come!” and I looked up to see two squads of six fighter jets each in tight formation, seemingly only feet from each other. They came over the hospital as the crowd cheered. Then they circled back, maintaining their formation, and flew back over the hospitals. When they came back for the second time, they hit their afterburners and the skies filled with symmetric streams of smoke. Everyone clapped and cheered for the pilots and a group on one side started chanting, “U-S-A! U-S-A!”. Then people headed for the elevators and the party was over – back to work!
It was an inspiring sight! I didn’t grow up near any military installations and I don’t have any close family members in the military, so I don’t have much personal exposure to people in the military. But watching those pilots flyover in a tribute to us, the healthcare workers on the frontlines of this pandemic, truly humbled me. The people paying tribute to us are the people who sacrifice and serve on the front lines to help keep me safe, to keep us all safe. And they were thanking us. I had tears in my eyes when I told the kids about it later that night, remembering how those who are so worthy of our thanks were giving thanks to us.
When I walked back to the hospital, I went through the walkway from the staff parking into the main part of the Women’s Center. All along the windows of the bridge over the street were posters thanking the doctors and nurses and health care workers serving in the pandemic. They were obviously were the products of many someone’s hard work and time, so I stopped to take pictures. It reminded me how much I appreciate the techs and nurses and environmental services workers and the cafeteria staff – all those who make it possible to take care of patients and their families. We truly are a team!
Me and my amazing nurse!
The thought that made me weep in front of the kids as I showed them the video of the Blue Angels was this: All these people with all the racial/ethnic/religious/political differences we have – and we are all just people. We all have families that we love. We all want to be safe, and we want our kids to be safe and cared for and educated. We want our elderly parents to be well. We want to celebrate life and enjoy meaningful moments together. I knew very clearly when I stood out there among the appropriately distanced crowd, that many of us would not see eye to eye on political or racial issues, or maybe other issues too. But we had much more in common than we might think. I left that moment grateful – glad to be human, loved by God, and knowing that if we can see our commonalities, we actually might be able to come together to solve our problems. That’s what we do in the hospital. That’s what you do at work. That’s how we solve conflicts in our families. I know it’s complicated when we’re talking about whole populations coming together. But still, I’m hopeful. And that’s a start.
Have you ever witnessed something that inspired your hope in humanity? Please share in the comments below!