
But beyond the medical care I gave to my small and helpless patients, they were pretty much taken care of by their parents. I didn't need to extend much TLC because most parents weren't much farther than an arms-length away from their children.
In fact, it was the parents who often became my top priority because they were usually a wreck, falling apart at the seams, even when their babies were settled into their cribs, or toddlers were happily sucking on a popsicle after a tonsillectomy.
But who could blame them? They didn't sleep, and they barely ate, as they kept their 24-hour bedside vigil. Worry and anxiety consumed them. They ultimately became my most important "patients" because without them coherent and alert, they'd be toast when it came to being there for their children.
I brought them food and drinks, extra bedding, or toothpaste; I dimmed the lights and tip-toed into their rooms when they'd finally passed out and I needed to check on my patients--their children.
And at the end of many of my late-night shifts, I felt content for having taken care of the whole family, not just the ones I was paid to nurse back to health.
When I left the hospital after ten years and began home-health nursing, my focus was still on getting small patients better, but I thrived best under the pressure of a family falling apart. No, it's not what I wished to happen, but most of my job was rote and I often didn't feel challenged. But confronted with an exhausted new mom, a frightened new dad, or a screaming newborn who wasn't eating? I came alive!
Fast-forward 26 years since the first day I stepped onto the Pediatric unit, and my life as a Relationship Coach isn't much different: I come alive when confronted with people who look and feel a little "messy"--those who feel knee-deep in their issues, and have no idea what to do next, or how to change.
They also can't see how brilliant or beautiful they are, so they have lost direction and their hope for a happier future. It's in this arena where my best work is done and my clients' greatest discoveries are made.
Big shifts happen when people sit with me.
I've walked in your messy shoes, so I'm better able to hold calm, loving, and peaceful space as you learn how to let go of defeating behaviors and move into more empowering ones.
If you recognize yourself, and you're ready to stop feeling so messy and out-of-control, I'll help you get clarity about where you'd like to see yourself in the upcoming year, and we'll strategize together about how to make that happen.
I invite you to apply for a complimentary, no strings attached session with me to explore what's holding you back from living a life of joy and serenity.
Make a bold and daring leap into your new future!