In response to Today’s Prompt: Write about a loss: something (or someone) that was part of your life, and isn’t any more.

The twist is that this will be a part of a trilogy as suggested by our hosts on the Writing 101 course.

Last year this time, I lost my job as a health visitor. I had identified so much with that job as it was a dream come through to get the education. Many years ago, I was a staff nurse in Copenhagen. I liked it when things were exciting and tried to work in an emergency ward. Somehow that stressed me immensely. I loved the contact with each patient, but the patients were quickly gone to other hospital wards or were even dying. They had too many needs at the same time, so how should I make the priority between them?

I remember that I reacted to hearing the sirens from the ambulances in Copenhagen, where I lived and worked. I believed that they were bringing the injured people to me from traffic accidents. Once I had to cut open the sleeves on a little four-year-old boy. He didn’t survive the crash. The father walked around in the waiting area like a wild lion, and I couldn’t get in contact with him.

I realised that I had to make a significant change, but couldn’t imagine what it should be. One day in the cloakroom, I “shouted” silently in my mind the question to God in heaven :

“What am I to do with my life?” I had been a believer in Christ since a few years back and I heard an inner voice saying:

Health visitor !

The thought I had of that was a strict nurse from my school time clothed in a traditional grey uniform. Her lips were just a tight line. A person with whom you could have NO personal contact.

But I thought about it and understood that it would be an education that had the aim to lift people up in whatever health situation they were are in, and everything is done in interaction with them individually. From that moment, I did all the preparations to take that new education, and it suited me so well. I loved that I could visit one family at a time and concentrate on their needs to manage their new-born children or older children. Then I could go on to another family without disturbing needs and calls from others.

A happy looking toy for a baby a few weeks old

So back to the end. The municipal administration does not seem to be too fond of older employees, and if you work too hard, that is not so good either. If you find that families have profound social and emotional problems, it would be better to just look the other way. Well, the more experienced you get, the more you see and the harder it gets to find favour in the eyes of the administration and leaders. I chose to stop my self without having thought one minute about the future as retired. Looking back at the situation, I see that I have gained my freedom and the love to write about my life. Blogging has indeed arrived as a gift, and I still hope to be able to practice my profession.

If any of you know of young families who need to be lifted up heavily burdened from exhaustion or difficulties in matching the needs of their child you are welcome to connect them with me here on the blog. Much can be done over Skype or just by writing mails.