Gynecology patients say the darndest things

As I write this, I am sitting in a doctor's waiting room, desperately trying to tune out the conversations around me.

For all inquiring minds, I'm not sick, and I’m not pregnant. I’m just anxiously awaiting the mother of all annual appointments.

So far, I've been waiting for nearly an hour, and I've given up hope of escaping any time soon.

I tried passing the time with one of the complementary magazines, but I could only stomach about half of the article on Randy Jackson's gastric bypass surgery. Pun intended.

And so now I’m blogging to you, whoever you might be.

How are my fellow waiting room attendees passing the time while I pretend to be at work on my Blackberry?

Woman # 1 is loudly speaking in exaggerated baby talk to her four-month old son, occasionally glancing around the room to see if anyone will, once again, comment how cute he is. She had an epidural with him, but not with his older sister. The epidural put her to sleep. How do I know? She told us.

Woman # 2, clear across the room I should add, is talking boisterously on her cell phone. She "doesn’t want to go into details because [she's] in a room of people,” but she was in the emergency room all day yesterday because she was bleeding again. The intern who did her pelvic exam admitted out loud he couldn't find her cervix. No, the doctors aren't overly concerned, they just have her on "pelvic rest" until the baby is born. Yes, her husband has been very understanding. Besides, there's plenty of other things they can do to keep things exciting.

Woman # 3 is raving about what an incredibly cute belly woman # 4 has. Seriously, she's been talking about it for at least the last 10 minutes.

Woman # 4 is due on the 25th, but she's so skinny all her friends think she's only 4 months along. Gag me! When I was at 4 months, a woman at church asked me if I was having twins.

This must not be woman #5’s first go around, because she thought to bring a friend. The two of them are planning out an intervention for their other friend who shouldn’t put up with her boyfriend’s crap any more.

Woman # 6 is trying to corral her toddler. He’s wearing those little shoes that squeak whenever he takes a step.

Woman # 7 is politely smiling at the toddler whenever he runs up to her. She's putting up a pretty good front, but you can so tell she wants to rip the squeakers right out of those shoes.

Women # 8 through 12 are either reading their magazines or digging through their purses. I suspect that, like me, they are just trying to appear busy.

Wait? What’s that?

The nurse just called my name! Wahoo!

I’ve never been more thrilled to strip down to a paper robe in my life.

Should old aquaintance be forgot?

I had this horrible dream the other night.

In a chance encounter with an old friend, I asked her where our relationship had fell apart. Why had we not kept in contact over the years?

Her answer: my hair. She was afraid my haircut would look bad in her pictures.

Yes, it was a little strange. Yet for whatever reason, I couldn't go back to sleep once my angry response to her woke me from my slumber.

It got me to thinking about all the close friendships I've had over the years. Those kind of friends you label as "forever." And yet, very few of them are.

Things happen. Moves happen. College happens. Marriage happens. Babies happen. And somewhere in the process, those relationships I thought I could never live without, have fizzled by the wayside.

At first it seems a little sad. Then I remember all the wonderful things I've gained along the way. New places to call home. Love. Motherhood. Wisdom. And even new friends.

Should old aquaintance be forgot? Absolutely not. They are part of who I am, and I will forever relish my memories with them. I will smile when I look over old pictures with them, and I will celebrate when I learn of the new exciting things happening in their life.

But neither should they be mourned. They've changed, and I've changed. There's nothing wrong with that.

Life is to be lived looking forward, not backward.

Dwelling in the past will cause you to miss out on all the beauty of today.