No Angel

“It takes a special person to be a nurse and it takes an angel to be a hospice nurse”

I am no angel

I will not always know the perfect thing to say

I will not always be on point

I am not perfect nor am I an angel, but here is what I am

I will be a fighter for my patients and their families

I will be tenacious in my search for answers and solutions that bring comfort and peace

I will be their most outspoken advocate and put my reputation on the line in the blink of an eye

I will be the shoulder if they need one to cry on

I will be the ear if they need one to vent to

I will listen to their pain and worries to help lighten their burdens

I will be the the hand that they didn’t know they were seeking to hold onto.

I will be their calm in the midst of the chaos

I will be their clarity as they traverse the seas of uncertainty.

When things seem darkest, I pray it will be my light that illuminates their journeys.

When they look up, with tear soaked faces, grasping for answers and feeling helpless, let it be my eyes they meet so that their fears are vanquished.

Each family becomes my own.

I am your caregiver

I am your confidante

I am your champion.

I will cry with you

I will wipe the tears

I am not an angel and don’t have wings but my arms will envelop you and guide you in your journey

When emotions run wild and there is stomach hurting laughter amid your sadness, my laughter will mix with yours

I am your aide.

I am your nurse.

And I am humbled and honored to walk alongside you during the most raw moments of your life.