Serendipity

It can't exactly be summed up in one word. When I read this article, I thought of my own experiences on subway trains all over the place.

Consequently, I find the same thing happening as I do my job. Sometimes, when I was on the floor, I'd have those moments with those super-needy patients where I felt as if every ounce of caring was sucked out of me. I was spent.

Before I knew it, someone would come and change everything, in that very moment. One particular moment I remember was working on Mother's Day. My coworkers swore our weekend always encompassed the holidays, like Mother's Day. I finally got everything done for my patients and headed for the nurses' station to chart (since we don't do bedside, nosirree!). One of our chaplains came to the desk and gave all the mothers a rose. It was sweet. He has moved to a different area, so I smile when I see him and think of that day.

That same article made me think of one of those super needy patients. Partly because he lived in New York City for a while. I think of some of our folks, like him, even more this time of year, because he died not long before Christmas. His sister, an old nurse, liked to bring donuts.

We may not be in a subway car, but in our little unit at the Hotel, we find fortunate happenstance in places we never expected. I hope you do, too, wherever you are tonight.