Angels on Earth

For some reason, I thought about angels today.  Angels on Earth  

Yes there really are angels on Earth.  Some days I question my religious faith but I know there are angels here among us.  Most of them wear scrubs, check vital signs, and take care of us when we’re sick. Nurses are the true angels on earth.  They work long hours doing some of the worst, nastiest jobs in the world.  They may be tired to the point of exhaustion, but they still comfort and care for us.  

I was hospitalized with pneumonia during the worst of the COVID pandemic.  I was on the “COVID floor”but thank goodness I didn’t have COVID, just plain old double pneumonia that almost killed me!  One of my nurses was a sweet girl in her early 30’s with the cutest bubbly personality.  I just loved her. She always came in my room smiling and cracking jokes with me. She brightened my day when no one could visit me because of the pandemic. The day before I was discharged, she came in to check my vitals and I could tell something was wrong. She was very subdued and even had tears in her eyes.  I asked her what was wrong and she said she had lost two patients that morning and had to put 3 more on ventilators and she knew they weren’t going to make it. That’s the compassion that nurses have. These were her people. Not just her patients, but her people, and she cared about them. At that moment our roles reversed.  I did my best to comfort her.  I hope it helped.  We stayed in touch for a while after I left the hospital, but eventually lost contact   

If nurses are the angels on Earth, hospice nurses are the archangels.  It takes a special person to care for the dying. I don’t know how they deal with death every day.  I will always be thankful for the hospice nurses who cared for my father in his final days.  They were with him when he died at home.  They were so respectful of him and so, so kind to us.  They handled everything.  They called the coroner, funeral home, and even offered to call family for us.  I will never forget their kindness. 

We thank the military for their service, and rightfully so, but the next time you see a nurse, thank them too. They are our angels. 

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