Nurse Of Hope

I grew up in a small town of about eight thousand people. When I married I lived in towns of four hundred and two thousand. I think you get the picture; very small town girl.

My sister was a registered nurse. She had a gift for healing.

Her hands were the most soft and caring. They were just like my dad’s and looked like my dad’s.

Once in awhile she would call me and invite me to lunch. We lived about eighty miles apart, so that involved having to get a sitter, so it didn’t happen very often. Rosie was in charge of a lot of patients in a large hospital. One day I arrived at the hospital early and sat on a bench to wait for her. I couldn’t believe the lady in a white uniform and a nursing cap and half glasses on the end of her nose was my sister. She wore a taffeta dress uniform, white hose and shoes. Her shoes were blue from being polished so many times. She walked very quickly. As my sister walked she “swished.” Her walk was fast with a predetermined destination. I felt almost sorry for someone that did not care for Rosie’s patients the way she ordered.

My sister had some sadness in her life, the loss of her husband for one. She decided to work for hospice and make the end stages of life easier for people.

One weekend I went to Des Moines with her. She was the keynote speaker for a Hospice convention. It was an excellent speech. After the speech was over, we went to lunch. This all took place in Hotel Fort Des Moines.

It was a beautiful place. It was like a palace to a small town girl like me. I will explain that the tables were decorated with style and beautiful china.

At the end of the meal, the waitress came with a small plate of strawberries and a bowl of melted chocolate. She handed me a tiny fork, and waited. While she waited, I waited, I looked at my sister, and she looked at the waitress too. Finally the waitress explained to use the small plate on the table to place my strawberry on. My sister and I looked each other in the eye and started to giggle. I think it took a good twenty minutes for us to quit acting like school girls.

The school girl routine happened to us every now and then. What memorable fun!!