I suppose everyone has mixed feelings when the day of retirement is fast approaching. I know I do. I chose this picture of the honeysuckle because I can smell its sweetness. But when I sucked on a little trumpet blossom the way I was taught as a small child to pull out the flower’s syrup, the taste was rather unpleasant, slightly bitter. Since my radiation on my tongue my taste buds have been rather out of whack. I never really know what a type of food or drink will taste like till I put it in my mouth.

I wonder how I will begin my new life, for I understand we all can be such creatures of habit. I have been a nurse for thirty years. How does one move forward with a whole different life style? I think of all the wonderful people I have met over the past three decades, co-workers and patients and families, and they warm my heart, all four chambers. :O) And I am so very grateful for all the medical knowledge I have gleaned from the practice of a hands-on nurse. I never did want to go into management. Also I remember feeling overwhelmed at times with all the new things I had to learn over the years. I would deliberately tell myself I love to learn. After a while I found out I really do love to learn new things! That really is a part of who I am. I have no doubt wanting to learn new ideas, practices, ways of life, will help me adapt as a retired nurse.

But oh! I will miss my friends, my co-workers. It has been such a blessing working around people with compassion and who know how to put caring for others into action. And I will miss the patients and families, they who have given me more than they will ever know. I have seen such courage, patience, love, kindness, and sacrifice. People caring for their family member literally put their own life and wishes on hold for a while as they make that person a first priority.

The sweet side of my new life is pulling at me. Rarely will I have a clock on me any more. Doing my own thing in my own time. What a feeling! I will have more time for the children in my life, woohoooooo!! Days to spend time with my family and friends, and days to live like a hermit here in Our Treehouse. Believe me, I can be a hermit. The more time I spend on this beautiful planet the more I find I really like me. My boys, Reddogg, Pete, and Pan, keep me company, but I have no problem spending time with myself. I’ll still go to the Y, and play cards with the Foxy Hags, and I will travel again. No plans as of yet to travel alone as I did when I went to Italy, but you never know… and more time to write, to read, to mess with my flower gardens, and the idea of long, slow prayer walks tops it all off.

I do believe once a nurse always a nurse. I am sure when I see someone smoking a cigarette I will still think in my mind, “Oh, that really does not serve your lungs, please stop”. When I stand in the grocery line I will still observe people’s veins in their arms and think, “Oh, I could place an iv site in a heartbeat with big, ropey veins like that”. I will stock up on fun band aids because all children love band aids. And one other thing. I have always joked that the initials RN stand for Registered Nap. I may just do that some days…

c   Love, Joan