A Dose of Happy...

I came to home health nursing later in my career. I spent many years as a hospital nurse, working all shifts and in many different specialties. I took a job in home health because I needed to get out of nursing management, and I had to work somewhere.

I thought I would just stay until I found something that I wanted to do. Little did I know that I had found my niche.

When I worked in the hospital, I used to go to work at oh dark thirty, and didn’t come home until well after dark in the evening. Even though all the nursing units had windows, I didn’t have time to look out them and see the sunshine.

So, the first joy of home health nursing was the opportunity to be outside, in the sunshine, enjoying the day. Another joy is in the music. I can listen to CDs as I drive around Podunk, and I usually do.

For the past few days, I have been enjoying a John Denver CD. Yes, John Denver. Happy music with recognizable melodies. Songs I know and can hum as I drive.

There was this one song on the CD and, every time it started, I pushed the button and moved on to the next song. I didn’t recognize it and I just wanted to listen to my favorites: “Annie’s Song” “Sunshine on My Shoulders” “Rocky Mountain High” “Country Roads” “Perhaps Love” and, of course, “Leaving on a Jet Plane….”

Well, this morning, I was busy trying to drive (?) and the song started…..and I liked it. In fact, I played it over and over today. It is a sweet song and it made me smile. And now, after a full day of work, I know most of the words to it, too.

As I arrived at a patient’s home this morning, and walked up the front walk, I was a million miles away, in my head, listening to the song still, and smiling. Sitting just inside the screen door, waiting for me, was the family dog: a mixed breed that is part pit bull. He was just sitting there, watching me approach, and wagging his tail.

No barking……at all.

As I reached the screen door, I called out the patient’s name, and he responded, “Come in”. And the dog moved backwards to let me in the house. I reached down and let him smell my hand, and then scratched behind his ears for him. Dogs love that.

When I walked in the patient’s bedroom, and he saw the dog walking with me, his eyes grew wide. He thought the dog was out back, tied up, and didn’t realize that he was in the house, waiting for me. And he was amazed that the dog didn’t bark at me.

Maybe he heard the song that was playing in my head, too……

Let me be the end of your rainbow,

Let me be the stars up above,

Let me be the one that you long for, darlin’

Let me be the one that you love…

Oh hooo

Let me be the one that you love!