7am wake up call, “He CAME!” Luc cried….. “HE CAME”……. somehow that messy old Santa Claus tracked foot prints all the way from the fireplace in the family room, up the stairs and to the tree in the living room (flour + boots 
! We planted a camera in the tree and we did catch a messy but action shot of Santa in the act, with just a blur of red and a white beard we were assured her was working quickly.
“This is the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER” Luc exclaimed just 30 minutes later as he sat with his gifts, which was beautiful to watch him explore without too much chaos around him. I am so glad we did Christmas this way. Tomorrow we will go and have another Christmas with my sister, our parents, and my awesome Aunt Marilyn.
As for me, Santa knows me well. I always tell him that I need nothing, in my life as I look around I can’t think of one single thing that I want. I have all I need. I am not a flashy jewelry girl, but Santa knows my taste exactly………
The bracelet has three Chinese symbols engraved that mean: Mother, Love, Beautiful. The M Dot, my gold standard for something silver and shiny.
In a bit we will walk down the street to have lunch with my mother in law, it’s wonderful to have her here. And more wonderful that she wants us to come have a Christmas meal with her, at the Legacy, rather than going out. That says something about her happiness!
But first a good 10 mile Christmas run for me, to move, to reflect, to cherish a lot of things. I am working tonight and the thing about that, like I have said before I work with amazing people. Aside from that however….. not all of us are so fortunate.
Last evening while working I realized once again just how important my profession of being a Pediatric Emergency Nurse is to me. because when things happen to children, I know what to do and how to handle it.
A mother brought her daughter in and was terrified. Her daughter had hit her head on the fireplace and was not acting herself. Even though it turned out to be a minor injury (thankfully) her mother asked me this before she left…..”How come you don’t get nervous when you see stuff like this?” I reminded her that it is my job to remain the calmest person in the room. If you see us get nervous, then we are in trouble. When you bring us your broken arms, your lacerations, and even your need for CPR, don’t expect us to get rattled. This is what we do. We remain calm. We work under pressure.
That’s the team you want.
At Christmas time we need to remember those who unfortunately have to spend the holidays getting poked and medicated. We have to remember stories like this, of those who are far from home, who don’t get to make the phone call that lets their loved ones know they are all right.
When I run my 10 miles this morning this is what I think about. Running to me is often the way that I pray. It connects me to my God, my higher power, my spirit. I pray for those who don’t have the luxury of ”some assembly required” on Christmas morning, of those who don’t have the luxury of their biggest worry being how to time the meal so it’s hot, of those who are spending a Christmas wondering if the child they brought into this world will make it another day, or will this be the day they are called to heaven……
Being a nurse keeps my perspective very very clear. It keeps the small stuff small. It let’s the beautiful moments be big and beautiful. It reminds me that even though I had a flat tire when I left work last night….. a flat tire is very small in the grand scheme of things.
It could be so much worse….. I reminded myself. I got to stand somewhere warm and call AAA.
As I waited I looked up to the 4th floor of our hospital, the Children’s Hospital and I prayed as I got teary eyed again. It’s a whole different world up there, one I hope you never get to see, understand or know. Kids who look out to this world below and wonder what it is like not to know the word Cancer. Wonder what it feels like to walk down a sidewalk like a normal person. Wonder what it is like to eat a hot dog from the street vendor below.
From my family, to all of your families, I wish the warmest wishes for the Merriest Christmas you have ever had!
Filed under: Family
