The Rest of the Day

Work went extremely well...hurray, hurray!  Weekends are usually pretty laid-back so I don't mind working them.  At the risk of exposing identities, I can't divulge any funny things about the consumers who live there, but they make me laugh at least once during my shift. 

It's so important to love what you do.  If you go to work every day, for 8, 10, 12 hours a day and hate it, your life will be miserable each and every day.  I decided a long time ago (well, at least a year ago) that I was going to walk into my work place with a new attitude and a smile on my face.  I am walking into their homes, after all.  They have families and friends who love them and are counting on us to provide the best care possible with the most compassion we can muster.  Some days are easier than others, but do you want to know what the most rewarding feeling is?  When you can take someone who is angry or upset and change their feelings around so they have a better day,  that's when I get my satisfaction.

When things do get rough (and they do, believe me), I try to remember that I am working for the Lord and whatever I do to the least of these, I am doing as unto Him.  That wakes me up like no other verse!  I am responsible for the people I take care of and it doesn't matter how little I am paid, I am doing them a great service if I treat them as I would my brothers or sisters.

Aren't I just the saintly one?  lol  Hardly.  Not on my own, anyway.  You have no idea how many times I find myself in my favorite prayer room (the bathroom) asking God for the strength and grace to make it through the day.  I imagine a lot of people feel the same way about their jobs.  Sometimes the bathroom is my only refuge when people are acting out or their meds are doing crazy things to their systems and they aren't themselves.  It's that little bit of breathing room I allow myself when I need to fill back up with God's love and compassion.

As for the most important occasion coming up, I can't help but talk about it to everyone I see.  "I'm getting married!"  Some people look at me as if I'm a little off my rocker, but I don't care.  If I had an umbrella, I'd go dancing down the main street in Owatonna yelling it to everyone I met.  My earlier marriage never really was a marriage, so this is "THE ONE".  How can I not be excited?

Monday we're getting our marriage license and getting my ring.  Even saying that gives me goosebumps!  What?  Am I 19 all of a sudden and my prince has come on his shiny white steed to rescue me from the dragon?  Because as silly as that sounds, that's exactly how I feel.

I best leave the rest of my enthusiasm for tomorrow.