A Few Reflections

Last night, I was working in the ED of The Children’s Hospital. We had a number of trauma patients, all of them of Hispanic ethnicity and many of them in pretty serious condition. I stood by their bedsides, using stacks of gauze and liters of saline solutions as I irrigated and cleaned the crusted and caked blood that covered the children, victims of irresponsible driving, dangerous animals, or simple accident. I don’t know how to say this…..there is just something special about being able to help families and individuals in trouble.

I am at peace with my chosen career. School is sometimes filled with busywork, nurses can be the biggest backbiters, and hours can be long and hard, but somehow I feel a certain sense of satisfaction about the fact that as a nurse I will always have the opportunity to learn a little more patience, a little more calmness, and a little more empathy.

Yesterday was the fifth clinical day in a row, making a grand total of 80 hours of clinical rotations and classroom time throughout last week. It’s made me pretty tired, and I suppose that in my fatigue I feel a lot older than I am. There is a song playing quietly in the background of my computer, sung by Trace Adkins called “Then They Do.” It makes me think of how quickly the time goes.

Enjoy the moments, everyone. It’s all about enjoying the journey. This week, if you see a pretty view when you’re driving somewhere, why not stop and enjoy it for a few moments? Take a look at the beautiful creations around you, give a smile to somebody who may not be smiling himself. We’ll always miss the things we took for granted, but we’ll never take for granted the moments we do not miss. I love you all! I miss you, Mom and Dad. Rachel, Emily, Daniel, Blake, you are the best siblings a man could ever have. Stephanie, you’re the reason I love life so much; Braeden, you are the reason I treasure life so much!