MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."--Oren Arnold

So...... I figured that since I'm up BEFORE the crack of dawn like a kid on Christmas (and I barely slept after work yesterday), I needed to write a little something.

"Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age." --Carrie Latet

I was actually scheduled to work last night, but THANK GOODNESS I got put on call. I worked the night before (Christmas Eve, eve) and when I got home, I only slept about 4 hours and woke up and for the life of me, COULD NOT go back to sleep. I got up, got ready, went to the early Christmas Eve service at church and luckily they put me on call. I was able to go spend some time with Natalie's family, exchange presents with her and just chill out last night, of course watching A Christmas Story. Now, here I sit, not being able to sleep once again.

But I have another reason for this post. At first I was kind of frustrated for having to work around the holidays. This is the first year ever that I've had to work on the actual holiday (even as a nurse). I worked Thanksgiving night and the night before Christmas eve and was supposed to work Christmas Eve. I kept thinking about how I just really didn't want to work and how tired I was going to be on Christmas day trying to do that family thing and the more I thought about it, the more frustrated I got. One day my sweet friend Lee, who is a CONSTANT voice of reason for me reminded me that on the Eve of Jesus' birth, I would be helping to bring the greatest gift of all to mothers and that's the gift of life since I work in Labor & Delivery. I had never thought of it that way, and she had a good point but it still didn't settle all that well with me. I mean who wants to be at work on Christmas?? Allow me to continue...

Over the last month, I have had a patient on our high-risk OB unit who was scheduled to have her C-Section on Christmas Eve morning. She has been such a wonderful patient. She has had her 3 yr old daughter there with her almost everyday as well and she has really become like family to all of us. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and just incredibly grateful for everything. I have had many talks with her late at night and one thing she said to me that I will never forget is "you can't miss something you never had". She will admit that she has had a rough life and that's what makes her so grateful for any blessing God gives her. She often talked about how much of a blessing I, along with the other nurses were to her, but what she didn't realize was what a blessing she was to me. I am truly going to miss her. I am going to miss seeing her get excited to see me walk in her room and seeing her daughter run up to me and beg me to pick her up. Just knowing that I have a patient that is excited to see me and appreciates me that much, makes me job worth it. Every morning when I would leave, she would always ask when I would be back. I got the priveledge of being with her and running the OR room during her C-Section Christmas Eve morning and everything went great! It was so neat to be with her during the last month and then be there with her during the "finale" so to speak. To be able to be there to meet her little boy when he was born on Christmas. Life really is the greatest gift of all, and being in that operating room that morning reminded me that's what Jesus being born on Christmas is all about. He was born to ultimately die on the cross to give US LIFE. That's what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. I know am just as bad as anyone else about getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping and such, but Jesus really is the reason for the season.

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." --Luke 2:10-12