My granddaughter is not quite 2 years old, and she is easily entertained and fascinated with the simplest of things. She finds beauty in the everyday glimpses of creation that most of us have become used to, perhaps even bored by. A simple "I see (and we then take turns filling in the blank), and she gets excited to point out her new baby brother's nose and ears, or even a little mound of sand outside with ants crawling in and out of their tiny house. Last week we stood very still together under a tree and watched as one leaf at a time fell to the ground. We waved to red cars and blue trucks, yellow school buses and motorcycles, and she was as excited as I might be if someone had purchased me a cruise ticket to Alaska! Yesterday while at work, I found out that the ... View Post
Nurses Encouraging Nurses
I wrote this roughly two years ago, and found it today. When I re-read it, I wondered why I never blogged it, because I still feel the same way! Since this piece, I have returned to the Medical Intensive Care Unit, but cherish every moment I spent in my almost two years in the hemodialysis unit! I was reminded yesterday that 10 years ago, at age 43, my nursing career "journey" began. (I thought I was old ) LOL Over the past 24 hours, I've laughed about that with one friend, talked seriously about it with another, and gone to a 2-hour meeting where nursing morale was discussed at length. I have thought A LOT about the past 10 years since yesterday, and a few other things lately..... both nursing career wise, and also concerning my heart .... Here comes my best attempt at ... View Post
“Just” a Mom
On my way to the first floor of the hospital, a couple with me in the elevator asked how to get to the parking garage from where we were. Since I was headed there as well, I walked with them instead of giving directions. We chatted a bit and I learned that the husband was an attorney. "What about you? What do you do?" I asked his wife. "I'm just a stay-at-home Mom," she said. But that's not the first time I heard the word "just" before a woman describes herself as a stay-at-home Mom. In fact, if I had a quarter for every time one of my patients' family members at the hospital described themselves to me as "just" a mom....... Well, I might have had that trip to Alaska paid for by now. Why is it that we long to be Moms, and then act as though it's not as important as ... View Post
Granny’s Grace
I received a gift today. It wasn't shopped for, or purchased, or even wrapped. In fact, the giver had no idea that she was giving me something of immeasurable value. A sweet little 7-year-old girl with great big eyes and a bow in her hair ran past me and jumped into the bed of her "Granny." Hugs and kisses and tickles and giggles followed. Six decades difference in age. Best friends. "This is my granddaughter!" she proudly told me, and her face lit up for the first time in the two days I'd known her. It was the most I'd seen her smile, the most joyful I'd seen her look, and for several hours it seemed as though the pain that her cancer caused her went away - just like that! It wasn't until several hours later I found out that "Granny" was not related to this ... View Post
Plastic Wrap (Cuz I couldn’t dream up any better title)
It's the season in my life when my sons' friends are all either getting married or having babies, so most of my recent Saturdays have been spent attending showers. Yesterday was the bridal shower for a childhood friend of my sons - one of the "kids down the street" kind of friends. Their house was where my kids were at when they weren't at my house. Their mom, Kathy, would call to check on her sons, or I'd call Kathy to check on mine. The boys were always in one of three places - our home, her home, or the local swimming pool. In fact, for a couple of summers the boys all worked there as lifeguards. And there were always bikes on the front lawn of one of our homes. Over the years we sat through basketball games, concerts, football games, and school performances together. Kathy ... View Post
Clean Dirt
My sons were almost 2 and 4 years old. I'd just purchased a cute little mobile home, one we'd live in and enjoy for five years. When summer came, I had a deck put on the side, and was then excited to move on to the weed pulling, and get the large corner lot we had cleaned up! I was determined to make my light blue mobile home an adorable little place for us. There was a lot of grass to cut, and so much potential for vegetables, strawberries, brightly colored flowers, and a sandbox for the kids to play in while I tended to yard duties! Loading the kids into the car, I was off to buy my flowers one Saturday morning! Purple impatiens for the front, strawberries on the side of the shed, marigolds on the side of the deck, and some brightly blooming flowers in pots for each of the ... View Post
So Long, Season!
Life is a series of seasons. That's what I've come to think... This past winter was exceptionally cold, exceptionally snowy, and miserably long. I'm not superstitious, but I'll admit I was afraid to take my shovel down to the basement for its retirement for the few shorts months we enjoy summer here in Michigan. I certainly didn't want to have to bring it back up the stairs! There have been seasons in my life too, that have seemed exceptionally cold, dark, miserable, and long. But this week, I've gone without a coat on my long walks by the lake, and have not been able to miss the tulips, the daffodils, and other perennials blooming. Nor have I been able to miss the sun shining through the windows of what seem like both sides of my home the past few mornings, and the birds ... View Post
God is Enough
Many months ago I had the privilege of meeting an elderly nun. She was just one of those people I had an instant connection with. She had taught at my high school, knew someone from my childhood, and had a heart for missions like mine. When she asked for my address to stay in touch, I never thought twice about sharing it. Soon the letters started coming. This photo above is a card made from dried banana leaves in Africa! These past 9 days I've been off and trying to catch up with those I've not been able to spend time with recently, so Sister Karen was a priority! I just had to see her. Yesterday I walked alongside Sister Karen as she took me for a tour of the grounds where she lives. We stopped at the Stations of the Cross, and she cried looking at Jesus being flogged. "He ... View Post