This I believe: The power of love does not come in a big package. It does not present itself as grandiose. I have been blessed to have had so many small moments in my life that have let me feel the true power of love. I have learned through these experiences that love will always find each of us.
I feel the love of people who have never spent a day with me in my adult life. When I was very young my grandparents passed away and yet I feel as if I know them well. I sometimes feel their presence in the quiet moments of my life.
One afternoon, I was at the zoo with my two young girls. I wanted to buy them a Slurpee, but being a young mother I had little money and could only afford one. This felt like a representation of my life. The Slurpee was representing everything I was never going to be able to provide for them. I felt depressed and worthless because something so inexpensive was so out of my reach. Something nudged me and softly spoke to me saying, “Just go buy the one Slurpee and do it now!” It was my Nana’s voice inside my head. I quickly went up to the counter and waited in line. The man before me ordered a Slurpee, but the snack bar clerk poured the wrong flavor. He set it aside and got the man the correct flavor. When it was my turn I ordered one Slurpee. To my surprise, the clerk asked me if I would like the extra Slurpee that he had mistakenly poured. He stated that he was just going to throw it away. I sat on a bench with my happy children each enjoying their own Slurpee. That day gave me hope. I knew that my Nana who had passed was with me and I felt her love. This experience will live with me forever. That small moment of feeling loved has given me strength in many difficult times in my life.
I work as a nurse on the night shift. This has become one place that I am able to give back the generations of love that have been bestowed upon me.
One night I cared for a ninety year old woman who was having difficulty sleeping. She called me into her room and told me that she could not sleep. She said that little children keep coming up to the side of her bed and waking her. I didn’t see any children, but having had my own past experience with the afterlife I was in no place to judge. I asked her if she knew any of the children. She said she wasn’t sure, but they were all around laughing, singing and having a great time. She wasn’t afraid of them, but she needed some sleep because this had gone on for a few nights. Then she asked me if I was a Christian and if I believed in the power of prayer. I said yes and then she asked me to pray with her. I pulled a chair up to the side of her bed and we held hands. We both closed our eyes and she began to say a soft, gentle prayer that brought tears to my eyes. In the morning she thanked me and began to cry because that was the first night in a week that she was able to sleep. She thanked me for praying with her and I never saw her again.
After ninety years of life this lady was alone in a hospital bed with only a nurse at her side for comfort. Love did find her and found a way to ease her. It made its way through generations into a small quiet hospital room where two strangers were able to connect. This I believe is the true power of love.