When my friend’s son (ok, it was Amy’s son) leapt for an interception and landed in the ER, I headed out to lend moral support. Honestly, it was as much for me, to hug Amy and all her kids, and see if I could help.

Here’s the rub…it was the local hospital where I spent my career. A little more than half my lifetime so far. First and foremost, I found my little family of friends, here in a strange setting, but one I know well. The kind of place I talked to many patients and their families about things they likely didn’t want to discuss. But on this day, I could hug my people and hold them through the long waiting game of x-rays, pain meds, assessment, transport, pre-op.

It had been a few years since I’d been back and had never been in this new wing. When we traipsed across the facility to the surgery wing, from luxurious new to practical old, I was flooded with memories. How many times in 31 years had I traversed this hallway? I planned the celebration for the opening of the surgery waiting room in which I now sat. I saw the red line in the O.R. when the doors swung open, and I knew what offices and secret stairwells were behind closed doors. I remembered the faces of fellow employees who sat at those desks but are now retired. People I attended meetings with, brainstormed with, and rallied with in crisis moments.

I don’t know the new names or faces. They don’t know me. The artwork is different, but the look and feel of being in a hospital is the same. When I left, I wound my way through new corridors trying to relocate an exit near my parking space. Disorienting. The gift shop and coffee bar and my old office were not where they were supposed to be.

I don’t miss the stress of that work environment, but in certain moments, I miss being part of that team. Of knowing the caregivers, the building, and its secrets. Hospitals are centers of life, death, and something big and important; this was a rewarding place to devote a career.

(On the lighter side, as we shared some waiting time, the young people with me asked about that career and the familiarity of this place. Most notably, it dawned on one that a 31-year career was nearly twice her current age. I can’t wait to see where her life’s journey takes her.)