Center Stage

I got a word picture the other day of what it looks like when I lose my cool with my kids.

I was approaching an intersection where the traffic light was not functioning.  A policeman stood in the middle of the street directing traffic.  Looking at his countenance and seeing his gestures, it was plain to me that he was stressed.  This is understandable as directing traffic is probably one of the most difficult tasks that a policeman has to do.  It requires knowing and using the correct hand signals, monitoring traffic flow, as well as the need to be vigilant of several things all at once.

As I sat waiting for my turn to go, I noticed that some drivers who came to the intersection were not interpreting his hand signals correctly or were not responding to them quickly enough.  Their incorrect or delayed response caused a change in his countenance from 'stressed' to 'frustrated'.  In his frustration over one car's antics he briefly threw his hands up in the air which I interpreted as 'What in the world are you doing?'  Of course other drivers approaching the intersection who did not see what had happened previously are looking at the hands go up and thinking, 'Okay, what does that mean I'm supposed to do?'  They then are misguided because of the policeman's frustration and remain confused about what they need to do.

This scenario reminded me that with my kids, I am on center stage.  They are looking to me, like that traffic cop, for direction.  When I blow up, lose my cool, jump down their throats, whatever you want to call it, I am throwing them off course and confusing them about what they need to do.  Yes, being a parent can be stressful.  However God has called me to this role in my children's lives where I must perform to the best of my abilities so that they can be stars.

Extreme Couponing?

For the month of February we included razor refills in our budget.  They are so incredibly expensive these days!  In the end, we decided allot $20.00 to razors by trying to find some deals and use some coupons.

I went to CVS because I had $1.00 in extra bucks.  Also, we got an extra $3.00 off from a 20% on-line coupon.  Four razors cost $15.49, but in the end we only paid $12.18 and, got a $5.00 extra bucks reward coupon for towards our next purchase.  Cha-ching!  We were under budget and I was happy.

Slight problem, they were not the right razors.  So I go back to the store to return them.  They are opened...I hope they still take them.  Yes!  They do take them back and I pick up the correct ones.  The woman at the counter is having difficulty scanning my receipt in order to return the first set of razors.  So instead she just returns them using the UPC code.  Little did I know that when she returned them this way, it did not factor in my previous discounts.  Therefore, although I paid $12.18, she returned to my card $16.42!

Then she proceeds to ring up the new razors.  I remembered that they were discounted, but not until she gave me my total did I realize how much the discount was.  For 8 razors the cost was $6.37 (half of what I spent initially for double the quantity) plus I had my $5.00 in extra bucks.  So it rang up as only $1.46 for 8 razors.

And in case you didn't do the math...I was paid to buy 8 razors....

$12.18-$16.42=($-4.24)+$1.46=$(-2.78)

I am in no way am I an extreme coupon gal.  But God is an extreme God.  And I recognize that He can do these kinds of things for our family with absolutely no effort on our part.  Just as He can pay me to purchase something, He can pay off my mortgage without me paying anything towards it.  He's just that good!

Once Upon a Time

(I wrote this post on the first day of February.  My computer was acting up that day so I am just now getting around to posting it)

Today while driving along the road, I saw a blue and white blur out of the corner of my eye.  Something about that blur was familiar to me; so much so that I turned my head to look at it.  A-ha!  That’s it!  The Penn State Shuttle.

Seeing it took me down memory lane.  This mini-bus transports staff, faculty, and students between two Penn State campuses—Penn State University Park and Penn State Hershey Medical Center, the latter of which I worked at for all of my 13 years in nursing.

My schedule for today included grocery shopping and volunteering in my younger son’s classroom.  Four years back, my schedule would have included giving opioid growth factor to a pancreatic cancer patient and participating in a meeting to recruit participants into a new research protocol.  I enjoyed my job and truly felt fulfilled by what I was doing.

Seeing this shuttle whiz by reminded me of the pride I took in being a Hershey Medical Center nurse.  Whenever I would share with people that I was not only an RN, but an RN at Hershey Medical Center, it carried weight.  In my eyes, the association with this prestigious hospital elevated me above the average Joe.  I derived much of my self-worth from my career.

Later that same afternoon as I walk into the elementary school office, the secretaries say “Hi” and joke with me.  Several children in the cafeteria wave in recognition.  A girl in my son’s class walks to the back of the line as usual so that she can walk to the classroom holding my hand.  These are my accolades now.  I enjoy my job and truly feel fulfilled by what I am doing.

Addendum: The very next day while walking into Giant I see a man collapsed on the floor outside the pharmacy.  The staff are gathered around him trying to assess the situation.  I hesitate to assist because it seems as though there are enough people at the scene already.  Eventually I walk over, tell the staff that I am a nurse, and ask if I can help.  Turns out they had been seeking medical staff in the store until the ambulance arrived, and were glad to hand over the reigns to me.  With my youngest child situated close-by, I begin an assessment.  Once a nurse, always a nurse.