Saturday 21 July 2012

Endings and beginnings

Back in Marsh Baldon for Jack's funeral
A green and pleasant land

Yesterday I went back to Oxfordshire, to the village where I grew up, for the funeral of an amazing and much loved man.  Jack had lived a long and full life, teaching so much to everyone he met over the years, and the day had much laughter and reminiscing as well as tears and sadness that Jack was no longer with us.

I met childhood friends whom I'd not seen for decades, was hugged and kissed by people who'd known me since I was at primary school, and generally felt very loved all day.  It marked the end of an era, because Jack had just always been there.  He was a great age when he died and we all knew that the day would come when he was no longer with us, but it was still hard to take in yesterday.  He had been at the centre of the village and the community for as long as anyone could remember. 

But endings always come with beginnings and yesterday also marked a very important beginning for me.  I found out, just a few hours before I drove to Oxfordshire, that I have a place at University for this September.  I will be going to City University, in central London, to train as a nurse.  After three years at home with the children, and many more years before that working as an accountant in the City, this is a completely new beginning for me, and one that I am incredibly excited about.

New beginnings
It's official


I have recently started a voluntary job at my local hospital as a helper on the wards - I serve lunch, chat to patients and help them with small tasks such as fetching them books to read from the hospital library, pouring them drinks, chopping up food and propping them up with pillows.  I am based, at the moment, on a general ward for elderly women, and some of them are very frail indeed.

After the funeral yesterday I chatted with some of the people who had helped to look after Jack in his last few weeks.  They told me what I have seen for myself at my local hospital - gentle kindness from nurses means so much to people who are at the end of their life, and to their families too.  The best nurses are the ones who remember that little gestures can have a big impact.

I will try to remember that as I return to the whirl of study, travel, work and childcare juggling in September; Jack's still going to be teaching me things.

18 comments:

  1. Bravo! And congratulations! I also had a career change, moving from nursing into teaching, and I still miss the patients and students. You'll love it I'm sure.
    ps - is Graham doing The Dragon's Back in September?

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  2. It's wonderful that you are going back to university, to train in something you've dreamt about. I wish I had the courage to do that. Bravo. And wishing you loads of courage to cope with the 'whirl'.

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  3. I just know you are going to be a wonderful nurse Nancy xxx

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  4. I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your friend, but you must feel very lucky to have had someone like him in your life. Good luck with your new direction, I'm sure you will make a fantastic nurse xx

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  5. Sad to hear of Jack's passing but wonderful news about your nursing course. Good luck with it all.

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  6. Congratulations again! I know you're going to be the most wonderful nurse. K x

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  7. Nurse Nancy! The patients who get you as their nurse will be very lucky indeed!

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  8. Wow! My sister always regrets that she did not train after her boys started school, so really well done.

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  9. I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm sure Jack would be thrilled to be a perpetual inspiration - and you are going to be a fantastic nurse. Good for you!

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  10. Jack sounds like a lovely, inspirational person. As are you. I am so chuffed for you, you deserve all the luck in the world, very well done x

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  11. Congratulations! What a very exciting beginning! Well done you brave thing.

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  12. That is a wonderful thing indeed - you will be marvellous, I'm sure. Huge buckets of courage for those nervewracking first days.

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  13. I'm so sorry for your loss, Nancy. It is so hard to lose someone who has always been there. We lost my childhood best friend's father last year, and it felt the same. I am excited for you about your new adventure, though. It does take courage, indeed!

    Ann

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  14. You have everything you need already - compassion, empathy, the ability to listen and a sense of humour. I am sure there will be days when it is hard and those are the days when you must remember Jack and everything that you learned from him. You will be a wonderful nurse - congratulations.

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  15. A loss, but a gift to have known someone such as Jack...
    Congratulations on starting your nurse training. It's 20 years since I started mine & I have never regreted it.
    Hold onto the little things that make a difference as you start your training, it will be ovewhelming at times, but also a privilige.

    Love Lydia

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  16. How lovely that you could go back for the funeral and have such fond thoughts of Jack woven through your memories.

    And for what it is worth, I can totally see you as a nurse. I'm sure the training will have its own challenges, but you'll be fantastic.

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  17. How exciting to start something new and how very different from accountancy! Congratulations, I think you will be a very kind and caring nurse.

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  18. That is so exciting and so brave! What a long way away from being an accountant - a very good thing ;) You will be an amazing nurse.

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Even though I often do not have the time to reply to everybody, I really appreciate all your comments so much - thank you for taking the time to read my blog and share your thoughts on what I've written.