Peace through an old ringer washer

Today I had to have an MRI of my head and inner ear.  I arrived at my scheduled time and changed into the fashionable gown that is ever popular among medical facilities.  My I.V was started and we were ready to begin.  I placed myself on the table, requested a couple of blankets to try and bring some warmth back into my now purple toes.  The technician gave me ear plugs, placed the helmet like cage over my face and rolled me in.  Almost immediately I felt immense cold run through my body, my heart was racing, and I was in full blown panic mode. 

I began to yell out for help and no one responded which as you can imagine made me only more nervous.  I began moving my legs in hopes that I would be noticed.
I heard the technician say O.K I am coming.  She took me out of the tunnel and I told her I have never been claustrophobic and didn't know what happened.  I just knew there was no way I was going to be able to go back in there.  She had me take deep breaths and my heart began to slow down.  We had not even started the first part of the test let alone the dye injection (which is what I was initially nervous about).  She then said "let me give you the panic button"  Perhaps it would have been good my friend to have that the first time.

I closed my eyes and began to pray for Peace, Please Lord send me this peace.
I thought of scripture and favorite worship songs and said o.k I can do this.

The technician then placed a mirror on top of my cage like helmet so that I would be able to see out of the tunnel and see her.

I slid back in the tunnel, deep breathing and hoping as she began I would be  able to do this.  Then it happened; as the MRI machine began to do it's stuff the sound mimicked exactly, without a beat, mom's old ringer washing machine.  Inside I smiled and immediately had images of mom doing laundry in the kitchen of my childhood home.  The many loads she put through that ringer.  I could see her running them through, reaching around and running them through again so"they will dry faster"  My thoughts were warm, nostalgic.  My visions followed her outside to the clothes line where she would meticulously hang everything to dry.  I saw her I felt her.  I thought, I wonder if while the technician is looking at my brain she sees my happy thoughts.

Before I knew what was happening I was coming out of the tunnel for phase 2.  The dreaded dye injection, only guess what I was not nervous about it, I was not worried I could have a serious reaction.  I was calm, relaxed and ready to go back in that tunnel with my thoughts, with my mom, please start that  machine up again- and there it was, and there I was a young girl again, feeling peace in the most awkward of ways.  Watching mom do laundry.

When I was finished, dressed and walking to my car I felt like I had been somewhere nice.  I got to work and for the first time today I looked at the date
April 3rd.  Teary eyed I realized 16 yrs ago today my mother lost her battle with cancer.

I thanked God for him bringing me peace not only in the scripture I relied on, or the worship songs, but through an old ringer washer.