Well, I succombed to the "career world" this weekend. (In addition to full time mommy) I am officially working as a CNA (certified nursing assistant) in a retirement community. Part of me has felt guilty because I am away from my family for quite a chunk of time. Yet, my wonderful husband is supportive and he will get to spend some awesome quality time with Jubal, which they both really enjoy. The other cool thing is that I only work every other weekend. That is truly a blessing for me.
Thankfully I am going through a training period with a fellow CNA buddy but I have had to polish up on my training from school and clinicals....1 1/2 years ago. I dove right into my responsiblities yesterday with some much needed assistance. I was really overwhelmed but God gave me the grace to get through the day. Today was a little better and I actually got to spend more quality time with the residents. I really think I am going to enjoy serving in this capacity and I know it will get a little easier with more practice. (Changing adult briefs is a lot harder than changing a baby's diaper ;0).
Here are a couple lessons that I have learned already that I would love to share.
#1 - Elderly people are wonderful. Even though society views them as useless, they are actually some of the smartest people. They have so much experience and knowledge and it's great hearing their stories.
#2 - Live life to the fullest. We never know what will happen tomorrow.
#3 - God is good even when we don't understand. I worked with a handful of residents that just lay in their beds and have a hard time communicating. Either they are really sick or have mental disabilities. Even among all the questions of why these things happen, I see the image of God and know that He loves them so much.
#4 - Family is so important. Cherish them.
These are just a few lessons that I have learned this weekend. I am sure I will be learning more that will pop up here and there on this blog.
Thanks for reading!
3 comments:
Thanks for the life reminders you learned this weekend. Sometimes we get busy and forget the simple things. I know the residents you are working with are blessed to have you!
I hope if I'm in a nursing home one day, I see a smiling face like yours! Oh wait, we'll be the same age. Maybe we could be roomies?
That's awesome. I used to work at a senior center. It was def. a tough job but very rewarding. You'll do GREAT! Those people are going to LOVE you=)
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