"Eventually all the pieces fall into place....
until then, laugh at the confusion,
live for the moment, and know that everything
happens for a reason"

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

And Then I Had an Epiphany...

I'm a nurse. 


My job is to take care of others when they are at their lowest. My patients aren't always nice, or kind, or even appreciative but I treat them all the same anyways. It's not uncommon to go a whole day and not hear "thank you" but even then, I treat them with kindness and compassion in lieu of their complaining and their anger. 


Sometimes I feel drained from what I feel is a lack of appreciation but just yesterday I had an epiphany. I woke up Monday morning with a head cold. Nothing major, just a sore throat, runny nose and a headache. But even with minor symptoms, this nurse who is usually the one making others feel better, needed a nurse of her own. 


Enter in Paul, my loving husband. When I'm feeling sick, he does whatever he can to make me feel better. This usually includes bringing home banana Popsicles, getting me medicine even in the middle of the night, lying with me when all I want to do is rest and constantly making me smile when no one else could. And what I realized as Paul walked away to get my chloraseptic from upstairs, is that I'm one lucky girl. 


Do I say "thank you" enough? Do I show my appreciation for him like I should? Do I treat him with kindness when I'm feeling bad? I hope I do. But I'm sure that there are times where my care for myself is greater than my care for others and it made me think, "Am I like those difficult patients who break my spirit?". I should know best how to treat a "nurse" but it can be difficult to lose sight of others when you're focused on yourself. 


It's just a thought and a reminder to myself that if you're lucky enough to have someone who loves you enough to take care of you when you're sick (and essentially when you're at your worst), it's important to make the effort to show them you appreciate them. 


I get it: easy to say, not always easy to do. Which is why I'm a nurse. I will continue to have a loving smile and a caring touch because I understand that they are sick and are concerned about themselves and their health. But at the end of their hospital stay, when they are feeling better and their world is no longer coming to a crashing halt, it feels great to see them smile and finally say, "Thank you."




Love and Happiness,
Bethany

Thursday, January 26, 2012

And So It Begins

Life is a journey. 


I'm finding that my journey is becoming more complex as each day passes. In the past year my journey has included marrying my absolute best friend, graduating from Auburn University with a nursing degree, moving to a city in another state to start my first "adult job" and all along the way jumping (and sometimes stumbling) over the challenges placed before me. It's amazing how much I've learned in such a short time but what's even more amazing has been learning new things about myself. I find myself challenged by "the way I thought it was going to be." Learning to let go of how I pictured things to be and embracing the beautiful reality of my life has been, and will continue to be a great challenge. 


I have a feeling that I am about to start the most exciting part of my life with my wonderful husband by my side. Together, I know we can accomplish anything put before us and it's a special blessing to have a man who is willing to walk towards the unknown hand in hand with me. As I grow as a wife, as a nurse and as a person,  my hope is to create wonderful memories, gain infinite knowledge and look back with confidence that I fulfilled my dreams. 


Love and Happiness, 
Bethany