Saturday, August 8, 2015

Sunny Saturday's and Molly's lists.

We got back from vacation and it was ,of course, lovely and precious to see the new family  dynamics with the married couples and baby Bella on board.


However, I love Sunny Saturdays at home. The morning light filtering upon lengthy conversations that last through the meal and up to an hour thereafter.
Abe coming home always adds an extra flair of happy to the mix. As he gives generous conversational excerpts on a wide variety of topics.
As we sat in this filtering morning light pondering Tolstoy vs. Dostoevsky, listening laughingly to perilous tales from Abe's recent trip to a Phytopathology conference in California..... Moriah(Molly)  hops into the kitchen with a wide grin and excited eyes. "ANNE!!?? Guess what? I have some exciting news about my stamp list!" (You see , Molly has a list that records all of the places to which her personalized wax letter stamp has sent letters and the number of letters sent.)
So she announces happily that she now has 11 states and 1 country that her stamp has gone!

Molly Inspires me in so many ways(Don't be surprised if another Molly post comes in the near future) . Letter writing is not the least of these. She faithfully  has remained the last of the breed. She writes faithfully and enchantingly.
She has inspired me to begin writing snail mail letters again.
There is something so personal and special in that little piece of white paper with a little mark in the right hand corner. The time it takes to invest in a letter means so much more than a like on facebook or a love on instagram.
Molly lives this kind of special and personable life. She adds  sunshine and personality to whatever she does. I am thankful to call her my sister.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Its what puts the breath of "LIFE" into living //Growing pains.




I drove home after a long day yesterday. My thoughts went to the previous three days of 13 and 14 hours inside the hospital world and several tears finally escaped... They had been captive all day. Experiencing life has the opportunity to be overwhelming. If one is to open up the soul to truly living... then the high's the low's, the warmth and the raw all have to be experienced.
My mind went to this last day of my week...

Two scenes came to mind. First: I had just transferred a man to a room via bed and I knew that something was not right ... I called calmly to the  family and preacher who stood near by... " I want you all to gather over here now. I do not know how much time is left but please start saying your goodbyes . And preacher... pray over him and this family." We gathered in a circle around the bed. I grabbed his wife's hand and then everyone tightly enjoined hands. The preacher started praying... My dusky , labored breathing patient took a  last heaving breath as we finished the prayer. Slow motion took over as I did what I knew I must do. I listened to his heart , turned to his wife and took her into my arms in a hug. as she sobbed.
But there was not time to process it. I had to get them settled and cry with them for a moment, only to rush back to the unit and take care of another patient coming from surgery. So tears must be held and patients cared for still... while death has just occurred.

Secondly, a vivid picture of another patient who coded at the end of shift. She was discharged from the hospital, ready to go home with her daughter and son in law. But she coded and when her family came in, it was almost the end without any hope of living. The daughter was broken. How unexpected it was.
I went over to her and asked if she was christian she said she was. We talked of her mother's strong life of encouragement to others and faithful living. We cried and laughed about her memories.
She asked if I would pray. I gathered her hand in my one hand and her husband's in my other. We prayed that woman to death.

The tasks will be endless in living. day by day there are a million things to do.. There is always another patient to care for, always another thing to do, yet, it is those moments that breathe a breath of life into living this life.

My dear friend @underthesycamoretree (Elisabeth Sayre) was reminding me today that often these times... The times that stretch us to the utmost, are the growing pains that are necessary to becoming who we need to be.

When are open to the moments that breathe life into daily living... It is then we will truly experience living.




About Me

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I started "Annalogies" as an outlet of creativity for an overly scientific, logically minded life. I love people. I enjoy the simple things in life. My aspiration is that this outlet can allow me to grow in expression. So go with me and grow with me, if you like. I am just a sculpture still in the making. annegirl46@gmail.com