Monsignor Thomas Hartman R.I.P.
The woman in bed 402 then recovered enough composure to answer my best friend. She sobbed, "I am afraid because ... because ... I just came into this hospital for a hernia operation!"
The rest of what happened is kind of a blur to me because it happened so fast. Tommy, without missing a beat, rose and said to her, "Well, that is a miracle and you are not going to die."
I was on the floor laughing so hard I thought I might die. I was repeating over and over, "Like a little bird ... like a little bird."
Tommy came over to me and said in an urgent voice, "Marc, I think we have to leave NOW."
The woman was pressing the call button like it was a detonator. Tommy pulled me out of the room, and we ran down the hall outracing the security guys. We laid rubber screeching out of the parking lot, and over several beers and no pizza, Tommy looked at me quizzically and said these words, which have sustained me personally through many mistakes. I offer Tommy's words now to all my readers and to everyone everywhere who has done the best job they can, but even so, it all just went to hell for reasons they should have known or for reasons they could not have known...
Tommy said to me, "Maybe the dying woman was in room 502."
Death may have taken my friend but his smile and his wisdom, his kindness and his presence will live with me until that day when God holds my soul in God's hands like a little bird.
(Send ALL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS to The God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com. Rabbi Gellman is the author of several books, including "Religion for Dummies," co-written with Fr. Tom Hartman.)
(c) 2020 THE GOD SQUAD DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
