Just a few days ago, I dropped my youngest son, Ian, off at college in Chicago. It was an emotional goodbye following a prayer service that found all of us parents choked up and in tears. Ian walked swiftly down the street waving and yelling goodbye as I snapped photos of him from the car (and yes, holding the steering wheel at the same time). Someone behind me blew his horn. I was apparently going too slow. But I really didn't care. I wanted one more glimpse of my smiling college student son...... And then I began navigating my way alone through the city of Chicago, trying to follow the directions he had given me to find the correct interstate. There were too many one-way streets, but I only made one wrong turn, eventually finding my way in the right direction AND on the right ... View Post
By Their Love
"And they'll know we are Christians, by our love, by our love. Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love!" That was one of my favorite hymms when I was growing up. I was always disappointed when the choir director, always in a hurry to finish, would stop after just one verse, and not sing the next few. Even at a young age, I found the words powerful, though I didn't quite understand why until years later - Years later when I met the person that song was written about. Or at least - I'd like to think so. A few years ago, I sat in the same row every week at church - Week after week after week. And so did the lady with the Vera Bradley bag. Our friendship began with a mutual, what we like to call a "borderline obsession" with purses - specifically, Vera Bradley purses! We ... View Post
Now What?
Only a mile away from home this morning, on my way into work, I remembered a time years ago when I was very, very angry at my son Rory for accidentally throwing out a $250 pair of Irish dance shoes that I had flown to Chicago to have custom fitted just for MY feet. It was just a pair of shoes. I was way, way over angry. Tears started welling up, and almost uncontrollably I began crying, and called my son to apologize for how angry I was that evening. He must have thought I was nuts. "It must be my hormones," I thought - Or maybe it was because yesterday I thought often throughout the day about my friend Cheryl losing her 17-year-old son in a car accident. But on my way HOME from work, I received a text from my younger son, Ian, that he and his brother were at the show seeing a ... View Post
What Would Eric Say?
Today I was reminded of a young man named Eric, who at the age of 17, was tragically killed in a car accident. I was scrolling through facebook statuses, and there was the post from his sister, Leah. This is what it read: "Every year on this day, I try to come up with the perfect words to encompass the bittersweet emotions of life and death, and the meaning of the journey that lies in between. This is all I can come up with. 13 years ago the lives of almost everyone I know changed. Eric, I will love you always, no matter the distance. Love, your baby sister" I had an immediate lump in my throat. Our families knew each other well. Eric and his siblings had babysat my sons, and had even taught them how to swim. We had gotten Eric a lifeguard job at our pool that summer, so the ... View Post
The Blind Man’s Heart
I recently met a blind man. His inability to see was the result of a brain tumor. When speaking with him about his circumstances, he began to cry quietly, yet almost uncontrollably. He kept repeating, "I am sad. I am very, very sad." "And I am very sorry," was the only response I knew to say.... I mean, what DOES one say to a fairly young man who has recently lost his SIGHT? Expecting him to tell me he was saddened over never being able to see his wife or children again, I was humbled when his response came. In fact, his response kind of kicked me in my gut. "I am sad," he said, "because my family back home in the Philipines is very, very poor, and since I became blind, I cannot send them money for food and to live." Wow! Wow, wow, wow! To be living right in the middle of ... View Post
There Once Was a Nurse
I have the privilege often of being with people during the last days of their lives. In fact, I am often with them in their last moments. I could write a BOOK on those stories alone...... And although each story is uniquely different from the next, all of them seem to have a few things in common. Whether someone is a highly educated engineer, school teacher, or scientist - Waitress, garbage man, or stay-at-home mom, no one ever asks to see a copy of their latest bank statement. No one wants to glance once more at a photo of their home, or have one more ride in their expensive car.... They want the people they love to know they are loved. They want to know their children are going to be okay without them, or their wives or their husbands to know they love them. They often want ... View Post
Meet Jessica!
When one veteran meets another veteran, there is always an immediate connection. So Jess and I have been friends since we met a few years ago, and realized we had both served. Army and Air Force veterans - I'd like to tease her that the only time the Air Force members run is when the mess hall opens. But since I'm the "chubby" one, I can't really get away with that..... We had already become friends at work. But one day, we both just happened to be in the same place, at the same time, with the same IMMEDIATE need for prayer. And that day, we chose to lean on each other - a God moment, for sure! By whatever means possible - We were going to make it our personal MISSION to not only stay in close touch every single day, but to be storming heaven together, and for each other, praying ... View Post
The Gift of Life – From a Nurse’s Perspective
I don't know an ICU nurse anywhere who wouldn't agree that we have a rather depressing job. Rewarding? AbsoLUTEly! But being a participant OFTEN, in the delivery of bad news can get to you after a while. Being the person who the family looks to after the blow has been delivered, is difficult work. It just is. And when we can't "fix" the bad news, change the prognosis, or reassure them that the physician was wrong, we often become the "bad guy," and the recipient of their denial, frustration, and at times, even anger. Not always. But often. Most definitely, often! And that's no easy task! So, we cling to each other. We laugh about things most people wouldn't ever talk about, much less understand. And as a great big family of nurses with the broadest possible range of ... View Post