Living with Molly: Here We Go Again!

🎵 KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See (https://youtu.be/9AEoUa0Hlso?si=ChelsKJxWMqO7shP)

Today I had one of those ‘sliding door’ days where things happened that wouldn’t have if things had actually gone to time and plan.

It started this morning when I took my daughter to our local hospital to have a minor op for a suspect mole to be removed.

The usual car park was full, so I ended up parking somewhere further away and worrying I wouldn’t make it in time. Then the pay machine decided it wasn’t in the mood to recognise my bank card, so there I was, stood cursing it, glad that nobody was waiting behind me. Then I heard someone say my full name – Samantha Vickerman!

It was my sister.

Completely by chance, it turned out, she was there for a biopsy appointment.

If I’d parked where I normally do…

If there had been a space…

If the card machine had worked first time…

I’d never have seen her.

Instead, the three of us ended up having a coffee together afterwards, which was lovely. Especially lovely for the fact that I wasn’t the patient for a change!

I drove away thinking what a weird coincidence it had been, not knowing that it wasn’t going to be the only one today.

Later, my daughter returned the favour and drove me to The Christie for my blood tests and as anyone who’s ever been there knows, parking can be a bit of a nightmare, so there was the usual panic of finding a space while I went in for my appointment.

Turns out the panic was unnecessary, as the phlebotomy department (proper name for the blood taking people!) was running about twenty minutes late and then that twenty-minute delay changed the next bit of my afternoon.

I’d arranged to meet someone from the Membership & Engagement Committee afterwards for a coffee in the hospital gardens. Because my appointment had been delayed, I’d messaged to say I’d be a bit later.

We had such a lovely catch-up, sitting outside in the sunshine, putting the world to rights, then I finally headed back to the car (right at the very top of the multi-storey) much later than intended, and as we drove out, I spotted another familiar face.

An old friend, there with her daughter, and off to have her blood tests before starting immunotherapy.

Again…

If my blood appointment had been on time…

If I’d skipped coffee…

If we’d walked back five minutes earlier…

if we’d parked on a lower level…

Two chance meetings in one day.

It really got me thinking about all those little “Sliding Doors” moments in life, like how many people do we just miss seeing every day just by minutes? How many almost-meetings happen never quite happen?

How many conversations are missed because someone got delayed, or caught the lift instead of the stairs, or found a parking space a row further down?!

And another thing that struck me today was how many people are carrying something, whether it’s biopsy, blood tests, scans, treatment. Wait, worry, hope.

Looking around the waiting rooms in both hospitals today, everyone had a story. Some I got to hear, many I never will.

It’s funny how having the time to reflect makes you really think about those things. Before all this, I’d probably have thought, “Oh, fancy bumping into them!” Now I find myself thinking about how finely balanced life really is. Tiny moments or decisions that add up and lead to a different outcome than might otherwise have happened.

Funny old world, isn’t it? I thought today’s blog would just be ‘I had my blood tests and tomorrow is the call with the consultant as to what’s next’ – who knew it would end up being a whole post contemplating about the way life goes?!

A reminder though that as ever, what’s meant to be will be ❤️

Sam x