Visiting the sick

I've done both the worst and the best visiting in my time. The worst was when a friend had just undergone a full hysterectomy and was recovering in the hospital. I thought it would cheer her up if I read from an Erma Bombeck book. If you don't know Erma Bombeck's comedic writing then you wouldn't understand why my friend was nearly falling out......
of bed from laughing. But, at the same time she was screaming, "Stop, stop. It hurts too much!" I thought she was saying no when she meant yes. I kept reading. Finally, after she breathlessly whispered, "Stop reading," I stopped to check if she really did want me to stop. She explained that it hurt to be laughing and she feared it was going to bust her stitches.

When I did my best visiting was when, after trying to keep a conversation going relentlessly, my friend said, "You know, I just enjoy it that you're here in the room with me. We don't even have to talk. But, please stay." So I learned to keep the visits long, and I learned to shut up after the greetings and catching up was done. I even learned how to scrunch into the chair and take a brief nap at the same time as my friend. And, I learned it was ok to keep napping even if my friend was awake.