Labor Day is almost over and tomorrow starts a new work week for me and a new school year for my boys. (YEA!) But before the day is gone I wanted to put up a couple thoughts about working or laboring. You see I'm married to one of the hardest working people I know. In the past couple weeks I've really gotten to see that up close, and see some of the fruit of that. Amy's an RN... not just someone who wipes butts and takes the brunt of verbal abuse by people who feel that they need to use their colorful vocabulary, but I digress... Though that does happen in her line of work, she tries, with great patience, to keep smiling and working. What sets Amy apart is the fact that she goes above and beyond her call of duty. She uses humor like "Patch Adams" as an RN to help her patients relax and know that they will get her best care. Even though she always will give you her best, there are people that she really feels a connection with. Recently that happened. He was her patient, a guy with a larger than life personality. He had married a gem of a gal. (so I gathered as Amy talked about them and our experience at the wake). Amy was like an angel that God sent for them. When something was not right they called Amy at home and she immediately called to give assistance. One story Amy told me about them was so touching... he was 'out of it' most of the time but one day was 'with it' enough that Amy asked him, "you had enough of me yet?" He said, "Yes" She replied, "Oh no you didn't!" He beamed a smile back. Then she proceeded to move him over in the bed giving his wife instructions to "get in there with him!". She got the wife's cell phone and took pictures of the two of them smiling at each other. They didn't know how many days they had left together, but that day was going to be memorable, and it was.
At the wake we were greeted by person after person who was up there and gushed about what kind of help my wife and another nurse gave them. We were ushered up to meet the wife, passing about 45 people in a line that never seemed to shrink. My wife had our boys each give her a single white rose with red highlights. We were kissed and hugged and reminded what a treasure we had in Amy. That day we saw the effect of being excellent at our work.
Recently my wife found out that she was written up for Nurse of the Year and twice was written up for Nurse of the Month.
If there was a holiday that exemplified her it is Labor Day. She's the real deal. As a Christian there is no better way to open a door than to work with excellence. I'm very proud of her! The world would be much better filled with people who worked that hard, with that much passion!
