Dad, the boys, and I went to the Athens track this evening. Last year toward the end of summer they ran a brothers 4×400 relay. They wanted to continue the tradition this year except this time they’re adding the 4×100, 4×200, and 4×800. Tonight was the 4×100 (1:02) and 4×200 (2:15). My job was to watch and take videos from the stands. Dad was the starter and official timer for the race and for splits.

I know I’ve written a lot about work things and the stresses, mostly because that is what first assaults my nerves and needs processed. But there are heartwarming things too that, as they say nowadays, “hits different” (bad grammar, I know). We spent a lot of time in the room of a woman who had recently returned from the hospital. It was about time to be finishing up our tasks and clicking off our MAR items so we could be ready to get out of there, but this nurse didn’t seem rushed at all.

They have a routine where she holds up a teddy bear. I didn’t catch what the teddy bear meant. They like to watch old movies together with the handsome actors like Paul Newman and others. The woman is non-verbal but is alert to self and people. She can make expressions, shake her head when she hears you, and look you straight in the eye. Then the nurse walked to the shelf and picked up a picture of the woman’s deceased husband.

She held it up so she could kiss him. It makes me tear up just typing about it. On the same shelf is a picture of an adult daughter in heaven, I didn’t ask what happened. The woman doesn’t remember but the nurse says it’s for the best. I had to go get some different dressings from the supply room but didn’t have a pen to sign it out for the charges. Thankfully I did remember to go back and write it down because who knows if there’s a video camera in that room someplace.

If there’s a video camera in a resident room they mark it clearly at the door. It’s their right to have one and it’s our right to know. The biggest reason I didn’t want to work any 7-11’s here is because I didn’t want to have to walk to my car that far in the dark. It’s fine in the daytime but it’s different at night and by then all the maintenance and security men have gone home. I just walked straight and made it clear.