I recently spent some time looking at that large empty field that used to be a hospital. For anyone who spent a good portion of their lives working there, it can still feel surreal to look over at it and see nothing there.

I think of all the things that took place within those buildings over so many years. People were born there, and people died there. It was a place where patients, families, and employees laughed as well as cried. It was a place where lives were often changed forever. It was also a place where lifelong friendships developed. Unless you lived it, you couldn’t possibly understand it. Understandably, many people would say they were just buildings, but it’s what occurred inside those buildings that made the difference.

I couldn’t possibly remember every experience I had during my years at that hospital. But the ones that I do remember remain close to my heart and will never be forgotten. Whether they involved good times, or were moments of sadness and grief, they will remain a part of me. Yes, it’s now just an empty field, but one filled with so many memories.