What is the last thing you learned?

Lately, the last few weeks have been tougher than usual. No one is hurt, and nothing physically is going on. I guess you can say there is a shift happening; with shifts come change and discouragement, which will eventually iron itself out. Ive been praying differently lately; instead of asking God for what I want, I ask Him what He wants from me and to help me understand His ways. This morning, we took some of our residents out to eat, and after we finished taking care of them, we sat down and ate too. I was sitting there finishing up my grilled chicken when a server came out with this one single ice cream cone, walked over to me, all the way in the back, and said, ‘Would you like this ice cream cone?’ I had to chuckle because our God has a good sense of humor, and today He let me know He was hearing my prayers.

“The day after writing this post, I received a few notifications on my Jetpack app letting me know there were some NEW comments on a blog post that was 8 years old.

The blog post was about a CNA who was asked by a resident if they would be working on Christmas…

The comments was directed toward the CNA and expressed the joy of the residents. Another comment was from another blogger who SHARED my post.

Although they shared my post years ago, I did not see the comment until today, and the shared post added to my encouragement! So, I’m learning to ask God more questions!”

What do you think gets better with age?

“I don’t worry about other people’s lives like I used to, and for the most part, I don’t sit and stew about what they think of my life. Instead of pointing a finger at someone, I try to focus on making ours better. Not just on the outside, even though there are external problems around here that need addressing.

This has helped me focus better and keep my stress levels way down, so I can focus on giving my son a stable and safe place to lay his head every single night.”

What are you most excited about for the future?

“I believe my journey of eating healthier is leading me somewhere new. I think the consistency and discipline, in itself, are giving me confidence, and I have made some decisions on my own!” I’m not sure where I’m headed at this time…

here I am, on the road again. There I am, up on the stage
Here I go, playing star again
There I go, turn the page

Of course those aren’t my words, they are Bob Segars. They fit perfectly with what I’m trying to convey!

What could you let go of, for the sake of harmony?

“The other day, I had a business meeting to discuss important information regarding my job and the time I will need to take off. Unfortunately, this discussion did not go as planned, based on what I gathered from the conversation. I sometimes need a day or two to process our discussions. The more I thought about the conversation we had, the angrier I got. There was one part that didn’t sit well with me. My initial reaction was to talk to other employees about the situation and further fuel my frustration. However, I decided to revisit the conversation and ask what they meant by this particular statement. It turned out I had misunderstood it completely.

“Instead of assuming someone is out to get me all the time, I could ask them to explain what they meant like in this case scenario, instead of acting like Godzilla coming out of the waters!”

How do you express your gratitude?

“Today, it was difficult to express my gratitude. I made a phone call regarding the business, discussing all my appointments and tests for my surgery. Unfortunately, the conversation did not go in my favor. Afterwards, I found myself saying things about everything that has gone wrong in my life; everything inside me wanted to scream, cry, and yell about how nothing goes my way!

When I said that out loud, I knew in my heart this was not true. Despite this, there have been many good things in my life that I have to be thankful to God for!”

What are you most worried about for the future?

“Dying and the actual way in which I’m going to die: Will it be painful or will I go peacefully in my sleep?

How will my children handle their lives after mine, especially if my time is up today or tomorrow?

Will I be able to see them from Heaven or will we have no recollection of what was?

Will I go to heaven and be greeted by people I know?

I honestly want to go to heaven, but I won’t lie – a big part of me is worried that after we die, it’s the end of the road.”

Have you ever had surgery? What for?

“I have had maybe four surgeries that I can think of off the top of my head.

I had open-heart surgery when I was 13 to fix a valve defect.

I have also had a C-section to deliver my son, and hemorrhoid surgery because they hurt so bad I couldn’t even enjoy sitting down at home or out in public.

They got so bad I never had any relief. I lived like that for about seven years until I finally went to a specialist, and she took care of them right away. I was finally able to enjoy my life again!”

What are your daily habits?

“I’ve had to start more than a few daily habits in the last month, maybe two.

I have an issue with my heart; in my defense, I was born with a congenital heart defect regarding my pulmonary valve. In my early teens, the valve was fixed but is now causing problems again.

They will not operate until my lungs heal, I lose weight, and I can walk for more than 20 minutes.

So far, I’ve been walking two to three times a week, wearing my CPAP, and counting calories. Although I have a long road ahead of me, I have noticed a bit of a difference in my energy level, and I even managed to walk an extra block during my last walk!”

If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?

I’m thinking this might be a trick question…..

I have to be comfortable and comfort for me would be elastic stretch pants, t-shirt, and tennis shoes!

How important is spirituality in your life?

“Spirituality is a significant part of my life. If there weren’t certain chores and errands to do in a day, I would spend most of my time with the Holy Spirit because of the peace I feel in his presence.