So, last week I had a birthday. I had a great plan. I scheduled the day off work. I was going to sleep in, do some shopping, a few projects around the house, and meet my husband for a birthday dinner.
As would be my luck, the state survey team showed up at my work place two days before my birthday for their annual inspection...and this year the process was to take not one, but two weeks! This meant all vacations cancelled, and 12 hour work days all week x 2. Yikes!
I immediately began to feel sorry for myself. I decided to buck up and just deal with it, and so I did. God blessed me that day more than I could have imagined:
One of my patients called me into his room after lunch. He said, "Terri! Come here! I need you to take me to the dining room. I have an announcement to make." I said I would be glad to take him and asked him what it was about. He said, "you'll know soon enough." On the way to the dining room, he mentioned that he didn't get any pie for lunch, when everyone else had pie. I wondered if he were going to lodge a formal complaint about the pie. I really had no idea what I was in for.
When we got to the dining room, I noticed that one of the surveyors was just outside the door to the dining room. I was really worried now. Whatever he was going to say, she was sure to hear it.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make," he yelled out. Several patients were still enjoying their lunch and looked up. "Our beloved leader has a birthday today, and I wanted to make sure she knows how much we all appreciate her." A gentleman at the first table started to sing, "Happy Birthday...," but this patient said, "I'm not finished," and he cleared his throat. "Many happy returns on the day of thy birth, and may the Father protect you on Earth with a beautiful birthday in heaven." Then came clapping, cheers, and a room full of tears.
I will cherish this moment always.
As would be my luck, the state survey team showed up at my work place two days before my birthday for their annual inspection...and this year the process was to take not one, but two weeks! This meant all vacations cancelled, and 12 hour work days all week x 2. Yikes!
I immediately began to feel sorry for myself. I decided to buck up and just deal with it, and so I did. God blessed me that day more than I could have imagined:
One of my patients called me into his room after lunch. He said, "Terri! Come here! I need you to take me to the dining room. I have an announcement to make." I said I would be glad to take him and asked him what it was about. He said, "you'll know soon enough." On the way to the dining room, he mentioned that he didn't get any pie for lunch, when everyone else had pie. I wondered if he were going to lodge a formal complaint about the pie. I really had no idea what I was in for.
When we got to the dining room, I noticed that one of the surveyors was just outside the door to the dining room. I was really worried now. Whatever he was going to say, she was sure to hear it.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make," he yelled out. Several patients were still enjoying their lunch and looked up. "Our beloved leader has a birthday today, and I wanted to make sure she knows how much we all appreciate her." A gentleman at the first table started to sing, "Happy Birthday...," but this patient said, "I'm not finished," and he cleared his throat. "Many happy returns on the day of thy birth, and may the Father protect you on Earth with a beautiful birthday in heaven." Then came clapping, cheers, and a room full of tears.
I will cherish this moment always.
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