friendship

I was given a hand crafted piece of jewelry on Friday. It even includes red, my favorite color to wear.

I was eating lunch in the dining room on Friday when my roommate Jen relayed an urgent message. Gaye, a sweet patient on the ward, was leaving and wanted to say goodbye. I ran down to my cabin, grabbed my memory stick, printed out a few pictures, and headed to B ward to say goodbye.

Gaye was sitting his bed with a plastic bag of belongings. I handed him the plastic coated sheet of photos and told him I had no idea he was leaving already!

"I just found out this morning," he said.

"I gave Grace a present for you. You will have to get it from her."

He told me he would be back on Monday for a dressing change and we said goodbye. And i walked over to A ward to find Grace, another nurse, and claim my present.

When I found Grace she told me Gaye had been very concerned as she sorted through several slips of paper that were buried in her pocket. Finding my name, I was handed a piece of paper and a green, red, & white, carefully constructed friendship bracelet.

We try to provide crafts for the patients to do why the are in the ward (imagine being in a room with no windows for several weeks!! It can get rather boring). Gaye had learned to make bracelets and went on a bracelet-making rampage. Us nurses were the beneficiaries of his efforts.

I went back to B ward and thanked him for the bracelet. Maybe I'll wear it today.