I meet you in the Holding Room.
(You are the same age as my grandson.)
You smile at me and I smile back.
We begin our dance together.
I promise I will care for you.
(Just as I would my grandson.)
You kiss your parents,
I roll you towards the arms of strangers.
You laugh as we go down the hall,
(Always a good sound!)
As we enter the sterile room and
Continue our dance.
I do my part, all the time remembering
The little girl underneath the drapes,
Even when the unexpected occurs and
The tempo picks up
And I dance the dance faster,
The crisis passes,
We return you safely to your parents,
I smile again, all the time remembering
I did my best caring for
The little girl underneath the drapes

​

Florence Cooper, 2012

​

Cooper, F. N. (2012). I did my part.

International Journal for Human Caring, 16, 70