Nurse Shoes
There are days when I feel like I am wearing a nurse hats of sorts - not because I am applying actual bandages or taking someone's vitals - but more a day where those around me have hearts and spirits that need mending.
Today was one of those days.
It started with seeing a young friend who was injured this week - it was definitely apparant that his spirit was low while dealing with his present challenges. We talked for a while - I know his head and heart are in the right place - he just has a journey ahead of him which he needs to make sure he paces himself properly. A journey which I hope he knows does not have to be traveled alone - a journey that I think will be easier for him by sharing his determination with a younger generation who idolize him. I hope when the moment is right that he will come in and work with the younger kids like we talked about him doing. I love that boy. He's one of my many 'sons'.
Later as the day went on, I received a phone call from my husband that a close family friend - she's more like family actually - needed our help and he had offered it to her. I am happy that he did. Sometimes having a soft place to lay your head is all someone needs for that moment. That moment may last just a few days or longer - either way, knowing that we are able to provide that peace of mind to her means a lot. And to have this young woman come out of the bathroom after showering for the evening - a young woman that when she was not even a year old I used to bathe in her parents' kitchen sink - look at me with her towel wrapped around her head and have her thank me with a big grin on her, melts my heart. We love our 'little sister'.
And right now as another young friend of mine is dealing with the loss of someone important to him - my desire to help heal his heart and ease his mind - is sending me to bed this evening with wanting to keep my nurse hat on and hoping his sadness will subside. Dealing with the loss of someone you love - is a sadness which everyone experiences in a different way. Knowing that no expectations or 'rules' can be set on how someone should grieve over a lossed pet, loved one, etc. - realizing the best thing you can do is hug them, tell them you love them and then let them guide you on what exactly they need - is the best thing you can do. Love this boy too. Another one of my 'sons' - a very tall one.
I believe that it is in these moments - moments where the compassion in your heart overrides all possible thoughts and feels like the only rationale reaction - are the moments that people remember. The moments where you take the time to let them unload the burdens on their minds. The moments where you open your home to someone who would otherwise be in a negative situation and by doing so, showing them that you love them unconditionally when others place rules on their love. The moments where you share in a friend's sadness, simply because they themselves are experiencing sorrow. I know in the moments where people have been there for me - it is those times that mean the most to me.
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
Leo Buscaglia
There are days when I feel like I am wearing a nurse hats of sorts - not because I am applying actual bandages or taking someone's vitals - but more a day where those around me have hearts and spirits that need mending.
Today was one of those days.
It started with seeing a young friend who was injured this week - it was definitely apparant that his spirit was low while dealing with his present challenges. We talked for a while - I know his head and heart are in the right place - he just has a journey ahead of him which he needs to make sure he paces himself properly. A journey which I hope he knows does not have to be traveled alone - a journey that I think will be easier for him by sharing his determination with a younger generation who idolize him. I hope when the moment is right that he will come in and work with the younger kids like we talked about him doing. I love that boy. He's one of my many 'sons'.
Later as the day went on, I received a phone call from my husband that a close family friend - she's more like family actually - needed our help and he had offered it to her. I am happy that he did. Sometimes having a soft place to lay your head is all someone needs for that moment. That moment may last just a few days or longer - either way, knowing that we are able to provide that peace of mind to her means a lot. And to have this young woman come out of the bathroom after showering for the evening - a young woman that when she was not even a year old I used to bathe in her parents' kitchen sink - look at me with her towel wrapped around her head and have her thank me with a big grin on her, melts my heart. We love our 'little sister'.
And right now as another young friend of mine is dealing with the loss of someone important to him - my desire to help heal his heart and ease his mind - is sending me to bed this evening with wanting to keep my nurse hat on and hoping his sadness will subside. Dealing with the loss of someone you love - is a sadness which everyone experiences in a different way. Knowing that no expectations or 'rules' can be set on how someone should grieve over a lossed pet, loved one, etc. - realizing the best thing you can do is hug them, tell them you love them and then let them guide you on what exactly they need - is the best thing you can do. Love this boy too. Another one of my 'sons' - a very tall one.
I believe that it is in these moments - moments where the compassion in your heart overrides all possible thoughts and feels like the only rationale reaction - are the moments that people remember. The moments where you take the time to let them unload the burdens on their minds. The moments where you open your home to someone who would otherwise be in a negative situation and by doing so, showing them that you love them unconditionally when others place rules on their love. The moments where you share in a friend's sadness, simply because they themselves are experiencing sorrow. I know in the moments where people have been there for me - it is those times that mean the most to me.
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
Leo Buscaglia
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