Reflection on a Sunday Night: Action Talks.

This evening I am reflecting on something wonderful that I heard today:

"True love is an action.  Not just a reaction."

***

Sigh. Love that on so many levels. . . . .don't you?

Sigh.

A much-needed nap interrupted: The worst and yet the best.

Cool thing I read today:

"The worst things about being a parent
are still better than the best things about every thing else."

~ Will Arnett, actor and husband of SNL funny-lady Amy Poehler

Outward appearances.

Isaiah and I were sitting "criss-cross-applesauce" on the asphalt waiting for the school bus this morning. We were playing a word game of some sort, and also talking whether or not it would rain today. As the bus pulled up, we leaped to our feet to meet the bus.

"Make it a great day, son!"

"Mommy, I hope you have the best day ever!"

::big hug/big kiss::

"What do you say, son?"

Looks at the bus driver as he lumbers up the steps of the bus with his over-sized backpack. "Good morning, sir!" he says, knowing that I was referring to the importance of greeting people courteously.

"Hey there, Master Isaiah!" replies the bus driver. Glances down at me and smiles wide and genuine.

"You really enjoy those sons of yours, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, I do. I really do," I answer him.

"I can tell. I can really tell."

And with that, he closed the door and drove off.


Love as a verb. Love you can see.

::sigh::

Thanks for making my day, Mr. Busdriver.

Reflection on a Tuesday: Joy Always

Today I

• Gave a lecture for the Emory Board Review Program at the crickety-crack o' dawn
• Almost overslept for the lecture that I was supposed to be giving at the crickety-crack o' dawn, but thankfully, was jolted out of a deep, deep, good, good sleep by my pager.
• Realized that the reason I almost overslept was because my two human alarm clocks were sleeping over at their grandma's house. (Thanks, Toonces!)
• Realized (the minute I pulled into the Grady parking garage) that the heels I'd worn to give my lecture would render me unable to walk by the end of rounds. (O. . .M. . . .G. .)
  
• Realized that I'd left another pair of low heels in the back of my trunk from the last time I'd snuck off for a post-work pedicure. (Hallelujah for having a junky car!)
  
• Joined my team for post long call rounds wearing comfy shoes from my trunk.
  
• Made my team walk up five flights of stairs because of my comfy shoes.
  
• Congratulated a patient for abstaining from crack cocaine for 8 and a half months
• Said a quick prayer to myself that she would stay off of cocaine for 8 and a half more months
• Realized that this patient and I are both the same exact age and are both black women, and wondered what my life would have been like if I had gotten addicted to crack, too
  
• Saw a patient playing herself in Scrabble. I asked her, "Who's winning?" to which she answered, "Chile, Me!" We all laughed out loud.
• Asked the same patient if she was trashtalking while playing herself. She said, "Oh yeah! You always trashtalk when you play scrabble, even by yourself!" Nice!
  
• Had lunch with my friend Ildefonso, his wife Lourdes, and my other friend, Tammy at the Sweet Auburn market
  
• Picked up a "stray" medical student after lunch and had him join the rest of my rounds today. He actually looked lost.
  
• Asked a patient about alcohol use, and consoled her when, instead of answering me she started crying
• Massaged a knot out of my patient's back (upon her request.) Wondered for two seconds if I should, but then realized that as sick as my elderly patient was, it was the least I could do.
• Said hi to a five year old little boy who was visiting his great-grandmother in the hospital. He asked me, "Do you be on TV?"
  
• Gave one of my favorite social workers a big hug and told her I was glad to see her
• Sent my husband two text messages during the day that said, "I love you so."
• Received two text messages from my husband that said, "Me too. :)" and "Me too!"
  
• Told a patient that he has something that could be a cancer
• Realized that he didn't understand
• Realized that he had not gone past second grade and couldn't read or understand most of the things we talked about related to his condition
  
• Realized that even if he had gone past second grade, after living over eighty years in perfect peace he might not want to understand
• Gave a medical student a fist bump for doing a good job
• Felt pretty when one of my senior patients told me I looked like Halle Berry.
• Realized that she had Alzheimer's dementia, but decided that I would ignore her cognitive disability when it came to thinking that I was the doppelganger of the world's hottest woman.
  
• Sat in my office for a few moments and drank some TAZO Green Ginger tea before leaving. (Aaaaaah. . . . )
• Reflected on my day for a few moments.
  
• Wished my thirty-nine year old patient had never tried crack and never got infected with HIV
• Wished the other three patients I'd met today who used crack had never tried it either.
• Prayed for every person who has had their life ruined by crack cocaine
• Received two thank you cards. . .one from a medical student and another from the daughter of a deceased patient
• Closed my eyes and felt a moment of joy. . . .
• Remembered one of my patients from last year who told me, "Don't never let nothing steal your joy" -- and smiled.
  
• Gave myself a fist bump for doing a good job or at least trying to.
  
• Sent Harry another text message that said, "I love you again."
  
• Reply: "Me too ... again."
• Decided I would drive home saying over and over to myself in my head. . . Joy always. . .Joy always. . . Joy always. . . .