I know quite a few folks who remember their Sunday school teachers. I know one, in fact, who loved to torment his Sunday after Sunday. Years later, the moment he walked outside to give up his life to God, however, he remembered all the words he'd heard decades before that from that same Sunday school teacher, and his eyes were opened. He understood. She's gone now, so she never got to see the seeds she planted come to fruition. That man now teaches adult Sunday school. Another couple friends of mine remember their Sunday school teachers from twice as many decades ago. And....... then there's Charlene - the adorable, bubbly young lady who sat next to me in medical transcription school, invited me to church, became a family friend, and gave me the very first Bible I'd ... View Post
To Love A Nurse
Over just this past week......... The wife of my patient brought in a stack of family photos she wanted to share with me. She and her husband were married for 65 years. She wanted to share her memories with me - cried through some of the more difficult ones to recall, laughed through many others. What a privilege for me it was to just sit and listen. An elderly man who was very confused needed constant reassurance, and often the re-locating of his stuffed animal that the nursing manager gave him - a bunny rabbit he named "Hopper." A 76-year-old man, estranged from his son for the past decade, came to me and wanted to know if it was okay to be alone with my patient - his son. He needed to say he was sorry for some things. (It's never too late). Several co-workers ... View Post
What To Give Me For Christmas
This post has been floating around Facebook, and I am fairly certain my friend Pat is the one who authored it. It's been copied and personalized on many friends' pages, and I really thought it was worth keeping year round, so here's my version posted on my blog instead! Each year, my sons ask me the same question... After thinking about it, I've decided to give the real answer: What do I want for Christmas? TIME. I want to hear from you from TIME to TIME. I know you have commitments to activities and people. A random five-minute phone call in the middle of the day, or on your way home from work, or whatever would be the best TIME in my 24-hour day! Just call and say, "Hey Mum. Was just wanting to say hi. Whatcha' up to?" Just a few minutes of your TIME. I want to hear ... View Post
Who Am I ?
A long time ago I learned not to title anything until I've written the last line and punctuated the last sentence. So often I think I've figured something out, learned a lesson, come to a conclusion - only to realize near the last paragraph that in fact, I'm only journaling and processing something God waited until the last line to reveal, and it was for me - and the title it gets in the end is nothing at all what I'd had in mind at the start. Yesterday I had a "me" day. That's not selfish, as I'm sometimes prone to think. It's healthy. I can't think straight or go have fun if I know there are baskets of laundry that need washing, a floor that needs scrubbing, bills that need paying, or yes - even emails to return. It's just the way I'm wired. My son is coming home tonight from ... View Post
Lacing Up My School Shoes
I don't have a normal 9-5 job. I don't sit behind a desk, put on heels, or don gorgeous jewelry to match the day's outfit. I'm an RN, and every time I punch the clock in my most-of-the-time ironed scrubs, my day is full, sometimes with what seems like monotonous tasks, and at other times a series of unexpected emergencies - and often, both! And there are days when I wonder why I ever left my 9-5 job!World War II veterans, teachers, policemen, grandmas, musicians, widows, homeless dads, and Holocaust survivors are just some of the people I have had the privilege to care for in some of their most vulnerable moments in life. Once, I even cared for a woman who was an olive jar packer! Most of my patients have more history than they do future, and I have the privilege of donning what I ... View Post
Dear Diary
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In The Middle of My Mess
For weeks I've been apologizing to everyone who comes over for the MESS in the middle of my living room floor. I've been navigating my way around 54 years worth of pictures and other treasures spread out all over the floor as I go through each memory. It's been an ongoing project, and not something I wanted to rush through. Some days I've gone through only ten photos, stopping to call someone and say hello who I've not talked with in years. Other photos I've taken snapshots of and sent to friends or family, and shared another good laugh with. Still others I've sat back and shed some private tears over, remembering some of life's hurts. Each of the photos captured a nugget of wisdom that perhaps 54 years later would remind me of things that are good, and worth remembering - even if ... View Post
Early Morning Mercies
I can be just a wee bit stubborn. (Everyone who knows me well is laughing right now). A recent change to the day shift, having a normal sleeping pattern, friends that speak the brutal truth to me (who I often stubbornly ignore), early mornings in silence alone with God, and very, very long walks in my favorite place....... What did I expect? Well, I expected that God would confirm for me all of the things that I wanted to believe. I expected He would answer me about the things that I thought I wanted to do, and give me HIS reasons why I ought to do the things that I wanted to do! And to be honest, I figured He would show me that some of my biggest concerns were all in my imagination. It's been a month now. I'm sleeping eight hours, my back feels amazingly much better, I'm back to ... View Post