when they are old and gray
Youthful memories stay
bridging generations
lending a hand.’
Susan M. Ward
Nov. 7, 2008
I found this poem this afternoon.
Nothing much -
just a bit of a muse,
but it wrapped up
the events of today.
Neither young, nor old and gray,
in my mid sixties, I consider myself to be on the far end of middle age.
As for the gray ~ you would have to ask my hairdresser about that.
But age and hair colour is really not of much import.
What is exciting today is that I was awarded and offered ~
a full time position in the part of nursing that I love and have devoted my career to ~
Addictions Nursing.
It is a short term position ~ at least one year ~
but in the part of nursing that I love. Am I repeating myself?
Addictions Nursing, I believe, is
a critical part of our health care system, too long neglected.
Detox: the physically painful, anxiety ridden beginning for so very many to change a lifetime of learned living and re-positioning in families and communities.
Medical Detox -
eases much physical pain,
some emotional pain and
walks beside people through the anxiety and lure of cravings.
Letting go when active addiction demands control is sometimes the only care that can be offered.
But shouldn’t I be looking forward to retirement?!
Time to spend on writing more
stories
poems
anything I want to write?
Really digging deep to develop a solid writing practice?
Well, can't I do both?
In 1995, seventeen years ago,
I graduated from a program at Texas Tech University
achieving a Minor in Substance Abuse,
a non nursing program
which advanced my nursing career.
I began writing about Addictions Nursing then.
In this past ten years,
I have worked diligently at learning the craft of writing
and continuing to develop my nursing career.
Both experiences have blended beautifully.
I have listened, and will continue to listen,
to many stories during this new chapter in my career.
Listening not for the gory details but for
clinical information detailing the destruction of substance abuse
glorious humanity that still glows ~ and then grows ~ within so many.
Joyfully, I have had opportunity to be that ‘senior nurse’
who walks with young nurses through potentially very rocky terrain as young minds and hearts learn principles of
Addictions Nursing in a medical detox setting.
Looking forward to more such opportunities excites me.
There have been, and will continue to be,
many ethical principles, and
just plain common sense issues,
to juggle over these past many years ~
all worthy of
poems
story
any other subject I want to pen.
“Do not be concerned with the fruit of your action - just give
attention to the action itself. The fruit will come of it’s own accord.”
~ Eckhart Tolle
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