Firemen & Nurses
• ~ 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍 & 𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒 ~ •
A few years ago, I heard the idea that in times of personal crisis or trauma, both (figurative) Firemen & Nurses will show up.
That was certainly true for us when Jacob died.
The Firemen are those people who run headfirst into the flames of the crisis, & put out the fires we can’t fight ourselves.
The nurses are those who quietly sidle up to our proverbial bedside & attend to our needs, both spoken & unspoken, day in and day out. They anticipate needs, intervene on our behalf (often without us ever realizing it), counsel us, & protect our need for quiet & solace, all the while never leaving our sides.
There were a few firemen and nurses who helped us through the trauma of losing Jacob, but two heros stood out.
First, my sister-in-law, Kathryn, was our family’s Chief Fireman. She immediately attacked many of those overwhelming arrangements: the church, the funeral home, setting up a Memorial Fund, creating a beautiful memorial slideshow & poster boards, and coordinating & delegating tasks to our extended family as needed. She put out fires I didn’t realize were burning until much later.
Then, my sister from another Mister, Sarah, was our family Nurse. For over a month, she helped coordinate & transfer the meals so many friends thoughtfully prepared for us . She gracefully & tactfully intervened when well-intentioned people attempted to offer sympathies I wasn’t emotionally capable of accepting. She effortlessly transitioned from conversations about The Heavy Stuff to commiserating with me about the normal annoyances of life and back again. She ran a fierce interference when others (also well intentioned) attempted to remove Identity Markers I held dear. She even cleaned out my fridge, God bless her.
Of course, there were many others who were micro firemen and nurses, who cleaned our house, detailed my car, wrote thank you notes, watched our children, and regularly prayed for us and checked in, months after the final arrangements were complete.
We were blessed to have both firefighters & nurses, when Life threw us the ultimate Emergency. I pray each of you are as lucky to have — and recognize — those same heroes in your life.
Today, on what would have been Jacob’s 9th birthday, I ask that you honor his memory, by extending some small (or large) act of kindness to someone who needs it. Our world could sure use it.
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