Wonderful World

Hue, Vietnam
2 p.m.
Recovery room- We’ve extended the mission by one day, a result of the flooding which turned our mission city into a “Vietnam Venice”. Laura calls me into the recovery, and I enter, donning my World Journey of Smiles scrubs, pink reading glasses mangled in my hair, and exhaustion written all over my body. My flight home is in peril as I changed plans due to flooding in Hoi Ah and Danang… and it looks like I may not get home until after Thanksgiving. The nurses look at me, laugh, and start chanting “babababa”, “sing song” they prod, and despite my desire to break down in my own flood of tears I belt out, in my hoarse, raspy voice their favorites from the play room “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands”…. and “5 little Ducks”, not to mention “Wheels on the bus” complete with hand signals. They hand me a beautiful silk scarf, two “non” or conical hats that the Vietnamese women wear, and a small hat souvenir. So sweet, so touching to have those gifts. I pull out my mini shuffle iPod (also pink) and place an ear piece in each of the two nurses ears, as I play Louis Armstrong ‘What a Wonderful World’… we all sing it together, they in broken English and Laura (the US nurse) and in I half-sing and half-sign the song as my voice has become a whisper. We end our rendition with a group hug, and as we end, the door opens, a child is brought in, and the nurses rush to take care of her, grabbing IV poles, checking pulses, hooking up the oximeter…. as I slowly back out the door. The last smiles are just starting for these children of Vietnam, spirits were not dampened. Yes, I think to myself, it’s a wonderful world!

Tam Biet!

- Cathy Snyders, Operation Smile volunteer