Congratulations to ShesTheOne for being chosen as the featured Week 3 submission to the Fullest Life. ShesTheOne started her new career at 50!

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ShesTheOne's post:

I did life a little on the backwards side, I became a nurse at the age of 50!

I can only explain what I witnessed, the electricity and rebounding reaction, the ying and the yang of the events that, when looked into deeply, can provoke thoughts of inspiration, and humble the most neurotic of minds.

It wasn’t until the early morning hours of that day that I took the time to step out of the constantly moving picture so I could evaluate the opened envelopes that now lay scattered upon the floor….empty of their contents.

Arriving into the repetitory chaos of the hospital ER, with my assignment well underway, I was halted in my tracks by what I thought to be a needy patient. I felt a slight touch and warmth upon my shoulder as I was evaluating another patient. I turned to acknowledge whatever the request might be, only to close my eyes to a golden light.
No one was there.
Instinctively, I entered the next cubical to witness within that moment a dying elderly woman breathe for the last time on this earth.
The extended family surrounded her. They looked up and smiled to me.
All I could mumble was a pensive, “I’m so sorry.”

Within minutes, without blinking back the tear, I was back to the task oriented details of throwing in lines, drawing blood, and sending labs. That same hour yielded a crisis patient, who in the midst of alcohol anesthetic overload decided that his life wasn’t worth living. He found a rope and his son’s swing-set the perfect tools—a task interrupted by a worried brother, who found his sibling twisted among the jute in time to intervene. His neck gashed, swollen and bloodied, face disfigured, he was shameful for his actions and refused to look into my eyes, although his regret voiced to me was, he didn’t try hard enough.

At that time my head reeled with “why’s,” and “how could you’s,” but I realized that this was not of my own. How could I understand the thought process involved to the point of action, although there have been numerous days that I did not want to continue.

As my shift progressed, the ER still abuzz, a young heavyset woman came through the door complaining of abdominal pain, “it just feels like my insides want to come out,” she said. Escorted to a private room, she donned the gown she laid upon the stretcher, “I just feel like I have to go, I even took a laxative.” In turning towards her, I knew what she was feeling would be revealed within moments. Not two minutes passed. As the perfect, full term baby boy made his presence know, the amazed and confused young woman said, “I didn’t know!” The staff’s faced were glazed and tearful, as the newborn’s first cries filled the room.

I marveled at all of theses events, wiping the sweat from my forehead. They didn’t teach us any of this in school. But I knew that this was meant to be, to show me the stages of life, in one short interval that others may never witness in a lifetime. The irony of wanting to leave this earth before our time, punishing the loved ones left behind; and the serenity of passing on from a life well lived and well loved.

And in an instant, you replace the life that was...

...with a miracle unexpected.