The HOPE of SPRING Read Free

wholeheartedly agree,” Anne said, turning her blinker on to move to another lane.
     “The sooner the weather warms up, the sooner I can start jogging in the park again.”
    Susan smiled. Her thirty-year-old sister had always liked to be outdoors and enjoyed
     exercising, which was probably why she was so fit and trim. Of course, Susan had never
     had a problem with her weight either, but she wasn’t into exercise. She figured she
     got enough of a workout on the job, although so did Anne, since she was a physical
     therapist. Anne might be extra motivated to stay in tip-top shape, so she’d be able
     to perform her duties without injuring herself and would be a good role model to her
     patients, who often needed encouragement.
    Today had been one of those rare occasions when Susan’s and Anne’s work schedules
     coincided, and they’d been able to ride to and from the hospital together. The drive
     to work was only about ten minutes, but it was still nice to have someone to chat
     with along the route.
    “Just think, spring’s less than a month away, so we don’t have too much longer to
     wait,” Anne said, breaking into Susan’s thoughts.
    “I know, and as soon as the weather warms up, I’ll be sticking my hands in the dirt
     and helping Grandpa putter around in his garden.”
    “You definitely inherited your desire to work in the garden from him.” Anne flipped
     a curly tendril away from her face. “I’d rather read a good book than play in the
     dirt.”
    “I like to read, too,” Susan agreed, “but not as much in the warmer weather, since
     I can do other things. You know how it is with me.” She held up her hands. “I like
     to see results from something I’ve worked on with my hands—especially if it takes
     me outside.”
    Susan’s thoughts drifted as she glanced at her polished fingernails and thought about
     the vegetables she and Grandpa would plant this year. Her nails wouldn’t look this
     good once she started working the soil for their garden, but that was okay. She’d
     rather have dirt under her nails than give up something that brought her so much pleasure
     and satisfaction. Susan could almost smell the earthy aroma of the damp soil as she
     worked it through her fingers. Better yet, she could just about taste those delicious
     BLTs they would make with the juicy beefsteak tomatoes they’d pick. What wasn’t there
     to like about biting into a sandwich made with fresh, homegrown tomatoes? Even better
     was sharing a meal at the picnic table Grandma and Grandpa had in the corner of their
     backyard, under the shade of the maple tree.
    They rode in silence for a while, until they passed a homeless man holding up a sign
     saying he was out of work and needed money. Seeing him made Susan think about one
     of her patients who’d been admitted to ICU a little over a month ago. Anne must have
     been thinking of him, too, because she glanced over at Susan and said, “How’s that
     John Doe of yours doing?”
    “About the same. The poor guy had surgery to repair the damage that had been done
     to his spleen, but unfortunately he’s still in a coma.”
    “That’s too bad. Has there been any sign of him waking up?”
    Susan shook her head. “He flutters his eyes and jerks his hands once in a while, but
     he hasn’t responded to any verbal stimulation. Along with the trauma to his spleen
     and his vocal cords, he suffered a serious injury to his brain tissue, which resulted
     in a blood clot. The doctor’s still giving him medicine to dissolve the clot. His
     other injuries included several broken ribs, a cracked sternum, and a fractured collar
     bone. They’re healing okay on their own and won’t require surgery, but I fear he may
     never wake up. And if he does, he may not be as he once was. We still don’t know his
     name, so I call him Eddie.” She sighed. “Even though I know he might not hear me,
     I talk to him about all sorts of things, and I also pray for