This Splendid Struggle – Page 2 – Country Life, City Living

I think it was about two years ago that I read an article that totally changed my mindset on winter. I have tried to find it so many times since then, to no avail. I really wish I could so that I could share it with you. The article was about how people that live in extremely cold climates, including those that have very few, if any hours of daylight, do not have an increased number of cases of depression. In fact, the article mentioned how these people actually looked forward to winter. As a time of opportunity, and enjoyment. A time to look forward to.

This article has really stuck with me and I think of it often. In the US, it always seems like winter is something to dread, something to get through. There are exceptions for sure. Many people love skiing, and most everyone I know likes some snow and winter weather for Christmastime. But once January rolls around and the bitter temperatures continue in February, most people start complaining and pining for spring.

I have always loved living in Iowa where we get the opportunity to experience all four seasons to their extremes. Sweet springs, hot summers, beautiful falls, and cold winters. However, a few years ago, I found myself less enchanted with winter. I was a hassle to always have to scrape the car in the morning. A pain to shovel the driveway. So annoying to have to wear a coat everywhere. And as people around me grumbled about the cold, so did I.

Then I came across this article and read how people in other countries, countries much colder than it is here in Iowa, looked forward to the coziness of winter. They looked for ways to actually enjoy it, not just endure it until the warmer temps of spring came. I felt so convicted. Here I am in the middle of Iowa (I love Iowa by the way. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.) where compared to these extreme climates the article was referencing, our winters are mild and our hours of daylight long. Our winter season much shorter, and temperatures much higher. Yet I was grumbling about the cold. Shouldn’t I be able to look forward to winter and enjoy it as much as the folks living in Norway, Canada, and Russia?

So ever since then I have tried to be so intentional about finding things to take advantage of during the winter time instead of complaining about its inconveniences. Instead of complaining about the cold, I get to enjoy wearing all my favorite sweaters. Instead of complaining about the snow, I get to wear my new snow boots. I get to build a snowman with my husband. Instead of resenting all the lost hours of daylight, I get to enjoy candlelight in the evening. I read many more books in the winter than I do in the summer, since I often feel guilty about being inside and reading a book while it is a lovely, warm day outside. So I take advantage of the cold to “hunker down” and curl up with a book. This winter I have started to crochet, another hobby I would feel a bit guilty indulging in in the middle of summer. I can bake and cook all day to help warm up the house, whereas in the summer I tend to avoid “heating up the house.” I enjoy more hot cups of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and apple cider. I get to enjoy watching the beautiful snowfall and the peace and quite that comes with a fresh layer of snow at night. The beauty of the moon reflecting off all the intricate snowflakes.

It sounds like I’m romanticizing winter, doesn’t it? I’m not denying that winter has it’s struggles. Try getting a puppy in mid February. Potty breaks at 3:00 AM are not very fun when it’s 5 degrees. Ice covered windshields, fender benders, slick sidewalks, freezing rain, weather delays, cancelled flights, frozen pipes, and countless more struggles exist because of winter. But there are also so many splendid things because of winter. Ice skating, sledding, building a snowman, icicles, snowflakes, cozy evenings at home, hot drinks, warm sweaters, handmade mittens, any many many others.

I am choosing to look for, and celebrate those wonderfully special things about winter, and resist complaining about the struggles of winter. Keep in mind it is -4 degrees F outside where I am right now and the wind chill is making it feel like -22! But I am inside my cozy home, sitting next to our space heater writing this, so it is okay. I am warm. I am cozy. I am so grateful to have a warm, cozy home.

I encourage you to finish out this winter with a positive attitude. Enjoy the extra time you have to spend inside. Read more. Do more crafts. Cook new things. Enjoy the inside of your home. Work on making your home a place you enjoy. Use all the scarves and mittens and hats that you’ve got. Sit by the fire. (Or space heater that looks like a fireplace in my case.) Make a cup of tea. Start a snowball fight. Use the opportunity to serve your neighbors, shovel their sidewalk, bake them a loaf of bread. Stack up all your cozy blankets on your bed. Wear your favorite slippers and bathrobe around the house. Light some candles. Take a hot bath. Rest. I know that for us, in the summertime we are constantly outside working on projects. Winter is a time for rest. For recharging. For slowing down. Winter is a special time to experience coziness and comfort in a way that no other season brings. I hope this year that you can appreciate all the wonderful things that winter brings and avoid complaining about all the struggles that come with it as well.

Homesteading, Life

Why We Got Backyard Chickens

February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 admin

This past June we started our backyard chicken flock with 6 young pullets and we have never regretted it! We love having chickens, and for us it is a no-brainer. However, I have had SO many people ask us “WHY?!?” So I thought I would do a post about how we decided to get them, why we love them, and some reasons that may convince you to start your own flock!

These are what the pullets looked like when we bought them.

Almost exactly one year ago we brought home a brand new Bloodhound puppy, Wilma. Being a bloodhound, she is a natural hunting dog, and knowing that someday we would love to live on a homestead with lots of animals, especially chickens, we wanted Wilma to grow up from puppyhood being around chickens so that we could train her to not be aggressive toward them.

The ladies are enjoying some hot, homemade porridge.

My parents conveniently had a small chicken coop that they were no longer using. So we hauled it to our small, city lot. My dad fixed it up for us by reinforcing some chicken wire and repairing the feed box and door.

So we started tossing around the idea of getting chicks in the spring. I’ll be honest, the thought of getting chicks kind of overwhelmed me. We don’t have a big garage, nor did we have a lot of the equipment you need to raise chicks such as heat lamps. I looked at many homemade chick brooders on Pinterest, but I was still overwhelmed by making one, so I started doing more research.

That’s when I discovered the term “pullet.” A pullet is a young hen, under one year, but older than a chick. Old enough that we could put it straight into the chicken coop and skip the brooder stage. We would also know that they were definitely females and avoid accidentally getting a rooster or two. This idea was very appealing to me. I knew that pullets would be more expensive than getting chicks, but since we were only wanting about half a dozen or so, I was willing to pay a bit more for the convenience of getting older birds. Also, they were a bit harder to find than just walking into your local farm supply store and getting chicks, but not impossible to find.

I scoured Craiglist until I came across the perfect listing for us! I found a group of 6 Sapphire Gem pullets for $30. They hadn’t started laying yet. We hurried to get our coop all prepared and went and got them the next day.

For us, this worked out perfectly. We were able to put them right into the coop without having to worry about a brooder. Six birds also proved to be the perfect number for us. Our coop has 12 nesting boxes, so they have plenty of space, and when they started laying eggs we got about 3 dozens eggs a week, which is too much for just the two of us to eat, so we sell a dozen here and there for some extra money, which is a great perk!

We love having chickens for many reasons, so I’ll just make a quick list here for you.

Fresh Eggs – This is obviously the most obvious perk of having chickens. I am never out of eggs. (Except the one time Alex sold 3 dozen in one day and didn’t tell me. It worked out fine though, because I just ran out to the coop and the girls had already laid 3 more.) It is so nice using the nutrient rich, dark yellow-yoked eggs that we get from our own backyard. We know exactly what the chickens are fed and can feel good knowing that we are eating something healthy.
Extra Money – This ties in with having fresh eggs, but since our hens produce more than we can eat, we sell eggs for money! We usually put this money right back into the chickens with the purchase of straw, feed, etc. So it’s a great way to pay for having them, they just earn their own keep!
Entertainment – If you haven’t just sat in an Adirondack chair with a cool drink and watched some chickens do their thing on a summer day, then you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. You need to do this. Chickens are so fun to watch! The way they strut across the yard, scratching for bugs, and randomly get scared and run to the other side of the yard is really very entertaining.
Companionship – OK. This probably sounds so stupid, but our chickens love us and we love them! The girls will follow me throughout the yard wherever I go, and will run to us when they hear us coming outside. Our chickens are very tame and enjoy getting pet and held. I have caught Alex on a few occasions, just sitting with them, hand feeding them sunflower seeds.
Compost – Chicken poop makes great compost! We have a little backyard compost bin that we toss all of their droppings and old straw in to make great fertilizer for my garden come spring!
Education – We have learned so much about chickens since we started. We didn’t even begin to know it all, we just started and we are learning along the way! We learned how to care for a sick chicken, how to tell if one is sick, what foods they can eat, etc. It also teaches responsibility, just like any pet or animal. If we ever have children, it will be a great way to teach them responsibility (feeding, watering, gathering eggs).

Alex enjoying watching our little flock.

Most of all, we just really love having chickens. We may live in town, but we would love to someday live on an acreage and have a homestead. This is something we can do now (since our city allows it) to help our home feel more like a homestead. We are learning and building our skills so that someday, if we can have a big coop with 100 chickens then we know how to care for them!

I encourage you to check your local laws regarding backyard chickens, and if your city allows it, give it a try! We love ours and I think you will love it too!

Life

My “Why” – The Purpose Behind This Blog

February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 admin

Blogging is something I have been interested in for a very long time. For a long time it seemed unreachable to have a successful blog. I had a feeling that success in blogging only comes to a few, lucky people who happen to stumble upon the opportunity at just the right time. Or only to those who are experts in one specific field. But me? No. I couldn’t be successful at it. I am mediocre at a lot of things. Baking, writing, nursing, homemaking. But I am not stellar at anything.

However, I was still so drawn to the idea of it. Sometimes things would happen in life and I would think “I wish I had a platform that I could write about this on.” So back in 2017 I took the plunge and I started this blog.

I had great intentions of making it into this beautiful, successful, money-making blog. But it was hard. I struggled to put the web pages together. To upload the photos, to figure out the technical part of it. I am not very tech savvy and by the time I had it all set up, I mainly just felt discouraged that it didn’t look like a super professional, established blog. (Which is crazy, of course.) And when I went to actually write posts, I had lost my inspiration. My good ideas. So I wrote a few posts and then fizzled out.

I tried to revive it again in 2019 and thought I would just write posts about anything I could think of. Then I thought “Who on earth wants to read what I have to say? Who is even interested in this? I’m no expert, I have no content to produce!” At this time, I was also getting married, and starting a life with my husband, raising a puppy, learning to care for a small flock of chickens, and doing tons of home renovations, all in addition to working full time. So I got busy and fell out of it again. But looking back, what great content I missed writing about!

So now, here I am again. In 2021 trying to save this blog once more. But now I have a better sense of my purpose for this blog. I have opened up about it to my husband, who fully supports and encourages me to go for it, whereas before I was self-conscious of sharing my blogging ideas with him. I have also decided to just blog about my daily life. My daily struggles. My Splendid Struggle. (Read more about the inspiration for my blog name here.) I’ve accepted the fact that I’m a beginner. My blog will look like a beginner made it. I am learning new things and I can blog about learning them! I don’t have to blog like I am an expert on the topic.

So basically, I wrote this really long post to tell you that I’m trying again. Starting over again. And I really hope that you will enjoy reading about what I’m learning, and doing, and making, and creating on this splendid struggle of life.

Holidays

10 Valentine’s Day Ideas

February 4, 2020 admin

No matter if you are single, or in a relationship, married with kids, or working this Valentine’s Day, I hope you do something fun to spread love and make the day special! Here are some ideas!

Dinner Date Night Out Now, I had to start with this classic, because this is what Alex and I always do! He always takes me to a nice restaurant that we’ve never been to before! It’s always fun to get dressed up, try a new place and enjoy a good meal with your Valentine. After dinner, we will sometimes hit up a movie, or a cocktail bar for an after dinner drink. But usually, we head home and snuggle on the couch.
Date Night In We all know that restaurants are packed and flowers are overpriced on Valentine’s Day, so it’s always an option to stay home! Cooking a delicious dinner and dessert together can be so fun and then you eat in the comfort of your own home as you enjoy your favorite tv show! You can make it a little more exciting by trying a new fancy recipe, or play it safe with a classic meal you both love.
Fancy Night On The Town Where are my single ladies at??? You have to do this at least once! When I was in high school, me and my entire friend group was single. So we decided to get all dolled up and fancy and went out to a nice dinner together. We had a blast and let me tell you, we were having way more fun than anyone else in the restaurant! We then did some shopping in our heels and dresses and then went to see the girliest movie in the theater at the time “Confessions of a Shopaholic” This was such a fun night!
Homemade Pizza Night I love this idea for families with kiddos! Growing up, mom would give us each our own pizza pan (or tin pie dish) and a ball of dough and we would make our own pizzas! She would have all of the toppings like cheese, pepperoni, peppers, pineapple, etc. We loved seeing how our pizzas looked coming out of the oven! You could even make them heart shaped!
Do a Craft I love crafting! There are so many options with this one. You could do a paint and wine night at a local art studio, you could have your girlfriends over and all do a craft as you watch chick flicks, you could have your kids make Valentine’s for their friends or neighbors. You can do this by yourself, with your friends, or with your Valentine. Get on Pinterest and get crafty! If you need an idea, check out the Valentine Heart Paint Chip Banner I made. Last year, I hosted a Galentine’s Day Party and we each painted a little canvas!
Pamper Yourself Whether you book a massage, or do a face mask at home in the bubble bath. Take time for you! Again, this can be if you’re spending the day alone or you could plan this with your spouse! You could even enjoy a nice bath, book, face mask, and glass of wine when you come home from work! This would also be such a fun girl’s night in if you hosted a little spa party for your girlfriends!
Bring Some Joy to Work If you are like me this year, then you will be working on Valentine’s Day! I also had to work last year on Valentine’s Day and Alex always makes it work and we go out on a different evening. (This can actually be beneficial for more reservation options as well as better prices) However, consider doing something for your coworkers on Valentine’s Day. Bake some heart shaped sugar cookies, or bring in a box pink donuts! It may not be how you’d choose to spend the day, but it will help make the day seem more special and make you and your coworkers happier! (If you are one of my coworkers reading this, I am making no promises!)
Go on a Mini Vacation This one is perfect this year since Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday. You could find a little town (or big city) that’s not too far from you and you could spend one or two nights in a hotel there, exploring a new town and just relaxing with each other. This would also be a great stay-cation. Our city has lots of beautiful and unique boutique hotels that we would love to stay a night in. Splurge on a suite with a jacuzzi, since you aren’t having to pay for travel fees and it still feels like you got a little vacation!
Make a Fun Breakfast Maybe you have time on Friday to make a fun breakfast for the kids with heart shaped waffles, or maybe you will celebrate on Saturday and enjoy a nice slow morning (my favorite) cooking chocolate chip pancakes and bacon! This is always fun for kids and adults and you can make it super cute with Valentine’s plates and napkins from the dollar store, or do a theme like “pink foods’ and serve strawberry milk, heart shaped pancakes with pink sprinkles, etc.
Do Something for Someone Else No matter how you are spending your Valentine’s Day this year, I hope you do something to show someone else love. Maybe you bring your lonely neighbor a cookie, maybe you spend your night volunteering, maybe you just make your spouse all of their favorite things for dinner. I hope your focus will be on others. On the ones you love. And also on the ones that rarely feel loved. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Books

The Great Alone – A Book Review

January 24, 2020 admin

After reading The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah, I knew I had to get my hands on another one of her books. There have been few books that moved my emotions so much and I wondered if all her works were like this, or if The Nightingale was just a special one.

Luckily, my husband knows me well and bought me The Great Alone for Christmas. I finished it a few weeks ago, and I’m still thinking about it! In true Kristen Hannah form, it shook my emotions so much. My husband found me crying multiple times while reading this book.

I had absolute no idea what I was getting into. I hadn’t read anything about the book or the plot. I didn’t have a clue what to expect.

At the beginning, I was not convinced it was going to be a tear-jerking, gut-wrenching, emotional roller coaster that The Nightingale was. The setting starts in the 1970s, and through the eyes of a 13 year old girl, Leni. I was surprised at what seemed to be a totally different type of storytelling and storyline. When Leni’s family decides to pack up and move to Alaska in hope of a new start and a life of self-sufficiency, she had me hooked. I’ve always dreamed of living a self-sufficient life, although never in Alaska.

I thought I was going to enjoy this book solely from reading about their new self-sufficient life. Little did I know that I would end of loving this book for all of the different human emotions and relationships that are portrayed in this book.

I’ve always loved books that portray wonderful, romantic, steadfast love. This book does that perfectly. But this book also made me ponder and understand other types of love better. Like the love between a mother and a daughter. The love between a person and their homeland, and also other types of love that can be complicated and confusing and incomprehensible. Like love that still persists even in abusive situations.

I’ve thankfully never personally been involved in an abusive relationship and I think reading this book really helped open my eyes to why people stay in those relationships.

This book is a beautiful balance of adventure and emotion. Kristen Hannah is so good at stirring your heart with just a few lines and The Great Alone is no exception!

Have you read The Great Alone? I would love to hear what you thought of it!

Faith, Life, Self-Improvement

2020 -My Hopes, Dreams, and Goals

January 1, 2020 admin

Don’t you love the feeling of a new year? Now, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE Christmas! I love the shopping, and baking, and decorations, and chaos that comes with Christmas. But once it’s all over, I love the new year.

The fresh start feeling. The clean feeling when you pack up all the Christmas decorations. (Mine are currently still up, including a Christmas tree that only has working lights on the bottom half of the tree!) Everything feels fresh and new. Not only the environment, but also my attitude and my motivation.

Don’t get me wrong, I often get WAY too ambitious in the new year resolve to do way too many things, as I addressed in last year’s new year post.

Last year, I said I just wanted to look back and be able to say I am a better person now than I was at the beginning of the year. As I look back, I can’t say for certain whether or not I achieved that goal. I had a lot of new and better experiences, for sure. I even developed better habits this year! Like fixing the bed every day and never sleeping in my makeup! But am I a better person? Do I love more? Am I more patient and considerate? Do I exhibit the fruit of the Spirit?

I don’t know.

But I do know what I want to strive for in 2020. I want to be known as a follower of Christ. I want people to be able to look at my life and see Him. I want to show love and compassion, patience, and goodness. I want to produce spiritual fruit. I want others to be energized and uplifted by being around me. My husband, my family, my friends, and my co-workers.

I want to be a better person, and I will do that by trying to be more like Jesus. In 2020, I want to be more intentional in my pursuit of Christ. To intentionally make time to spend reading His Word and praying.

Of course, I have goals to eat better, and save money. We have a lot of house projects on our 2020 to-do list. And I am really wanting to become more organized. However, out of all of these things, I hope and pray that this year my focus will not be on me. But that it will be on Christ and how I can be more like Him. And when I do that, I know all the other things will fall into place.

I hope you have a wonderful New Year. I would love to hear what goals you have for 2020!

Life

2019 – A Reflection on My Best Year Yet

December 31, 2019 admin

As I sit writing this post, I am in shock that 2019 has come to an end. What an incredibly fast year. 2019 happened in the blink of an eye, but it also brought me the best times of my entire life.

I can honestly say that 2019 was the best year of my life. Back in January, I finally launched this blog, which I had talked about doing for years. It’s obviously not much, but I’m so glad I did.

February brought one of the happiest days of my life when Alex proposed! The next several months flew by in a whirlwind of wedding planning and preparations. I was overwhelmed with the amount of love that was poured out to me with the showers, parties, gifts, and help from so many friends and family members.

July was here before we knew it, and we had a fairytale wedding day that was so beautiful, and special, and perfect in every way.

Our honeymoon in St. Maarten was probably the best trip I have ever been on. The perfect weather, wonderful resort, and great food were made even better by getting to spend an entire week with my new husband.

In August we both started to learn a lot. We began to figure out how to live together and how to develop new routines. I learned how to wake up before 8:30 and Alex learned how to live with a crazy woman who loves to bake and is obsessed with the Iowa State Fair.

Our trip to Vermont in October was so much fun just relaxing with each other and enjoying God’s fall masterpieces.

Before we knew it, November was here bringing Alex’s birthday and Thanksgiving.

Now here we are on December 31st. My 28th birthday, while I whined and joked a lot about getting old and not wanting a birthday, was my best one yet. Our first Christmas married was a blast and our Christmas party was exhausting, but so much fun.

So as I look back onto 2019, I can honestly say it was the best year of my life. So much happiness, so much change, so many adventures, so much love. The best thing by far, better than all the trips and experiences, is spending every day with my best friend. Building a home and a life with him. I will forever look at 2019 as the most life-changing year. This year has brought me so much that I’m sad to see it go, but I am so excited to see what 2020 brings. Much love to you in the New Year.

Books

What the Wind Knows – A Book Review

September 21, 2019September 21, 2019 admin

I recently read a novel titled “What the Wind Knows” by Amy Harmon. I must say, it is not typically the kind of book I read, but I absolutely loved it. It is historical fiction, which is my type of book, but it also has an aspect that I usually shy away from.

It started off like any good novel that I would read. Set in America, a young woman is dealing with the loss of her beloved Irish grandfather. She sets out to Ireland to spread his ashes and say a final goodbye. Up to this point it was very sad, and moving and I did not see what was coming next.

Time traveling.

I don’t read time travel books. It’s too much for me to wrap my brain around. I can’t comprehend it and so I usually steer clear from those books. But I was already invested in this story. So I continued and boy, am I glad I did!

She finds herself in Ireland at a time that was two generations before her. At first she can’t figure out how to get back, but then as she spends more time there she decides she might like to stay. Although, it gets to be quite dangerous for her as people begin to grow suspicious of who she really is and how she seems to know about things that have not happened yet.

One reason that I was scared to finish this book was because I couldn’t see how the author could end it on a happy note and I NEED my books to have happy endings. I was not disappointed. The night I finished this book I had to stop reading about 3 different times because I couldn’t see the page through my tears. I cried so hard. But it was SUCH an AMAZING ending.

This book covered a lot of Irish historical events and figures, which I was not well-informed about before reading, but feel like I am more now after reading. I fully enjoyed it without knowing much about the actual historical events, and I think you would still enjoy it if you were an expert on Irish history.

I know this is a very vague book review as far as the plot, but I don’t want to give too much away because it was so fascinating to figure it out along the way as you read it! And I seriously hope you read it!

I think this book is the perfect balance of loss, heartache, sadness, love, romance, excitement, adventure, danger, and of course an emotional, moving ending. Happy reading!!!

Faith

“I Love Her”

August 19, 2019September 21, 2019 admin

It was one of those days. It had been one of those weeks. It was my third 12 hour shift in a row. I had one hour to go. I was done. I just wanted to go home. After three days of constant business, half staff, and an insane amount of case loads, I was ready to check out and start my two week vacation. I looked at the clock. 10:30. Only one more hour. So close to freedom, I thought I was in the clear without having to do another super crazy case.

I was wrong. We got the call for an emergency surgery. I started setting up for it. Just as I got the room prepared, we got another call. Scratch that, a more urgent emergency was coming in. Change of plans. I start doing the necessary preparations to change procedures.

Then we found out why this particular patient was coming in. She had done something horrific. Terrible. Indescribable. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. But now she needed medical help.

My attitude changed immediately. My mind running wild with thoughts I’ve never had about any patient before. I didn’t want to help her. I didn’t want to bust my exhausted butt trying to save her. She deserved what she had coming to her. I couldn’t speak to her because I was afraid of what I would say. I looked at her with contempt.

It should have been a simple surgery to fix the problem. But of course, this time there were complications. I was annoyed. The room was high stress. I was running here and there, getting things that the doctors needed. I didn’t want to do this. I wanted to be clocking out, not running around, working hard to save this person that I had no respect for.

When things calmed down a bit, I was just looking at her on the operating table. I was glaring at her with contempt. How could this person do such a thing and then come to the hospital and expect me to do absolutely everything to help her?

And then God spoke to me, “I love her.”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a message from God so clearly in my life before. There, in the middle of that chaotic OR, I was so completely convicted of all of the things I had just been thinking of her. Here I had been judging her and thinking terrible thoughts about how I didn’t want to help her, and how I thought she didn’t deserve it. I was thinking those things about someone that God loves. Someone He died for! He loves her as much as he loves me!

I was blown away and I just wanted to cry. And cry I did. This profound realization of the overwhelming, unconditional love of God just blew my mind. Sometimes I wish I could tell you what she did. Just so you could understand my feelings, but it doesn’t matter what she did. Her sin that I thought was so disgusting and vile and terrible. It was the same as my sins. To God, our sins are equal. And his love for us is equal.

I was so blown away by God’s grace. I went home and cried to my husband. I don’t think I slept at all. I thought about it the minute I woke up. I cried to my mom and sister the next day. How amazing is His Grace. How profound is His Love.

That moment in the OR that I thought was just another annoyingly busy night has changed me. I will remember that moment forever. And I hope I never forget the magnitude of God’s love.

Life

20 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Become a Nurse

May 6, 2019May 6, 2019 admin

It’s nurse’s week. Happy Nurse’s Week to all my fellow nurses! For those of you who don’t know, I am a nurse and have been for 5 and a half years now. I can’t even believe it. Some days I think I’ve seen it all in my short 5 and half years, and other days I still feel like a newbie with a lot more to learn.

I have thought about this post a lot. I have thought about all the ways I could write it and express all my feelings and frustrations about being a nurse, and even now, as I begin to write, I don’t even know which way I’m going to go with it, so here goes.

Being a nurse has, by far, been the hardest thing I’ve done in my life thus far. It has been the most stressful thing. It has been the most physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting thing. Talk about a struggle. I’m really making this sound appealing, aren’t I? Well, it’s true. It’s also true that being a nurse isn’t for everyone, so I thought I would make up a list of reasons why you shouldn’t become a nurse. Here we go. Read the list all the way until the end.

Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to take care of 6 patients at a times, all of which are very ill and need you at the same time.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to take care of the 6 patients above and also have to be in charge of your unit. Which requires figuring out staffing assignments, helping your other staff nurses with their patients, being their resource, and dealing with management, administration, assigning admissions, and doing damage control with unhappy patients and families.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to find your patient passed away in his sleep and have to prepare his body for the morgue.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to see abused and neglected children get so injured, and then get discharged right back into the situation that they came from.
Don’t become a nurse if you can’t stomach seeing a skull cap cut off to try to control a head bleed.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want surgeons to yell at you on a daily basis.
Don’t become a nurse if you want to work in a fully staffed department. That’s not happening.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want your manager to question you on why you haven’t updated the white board when you just spent 12 overnight hours just trying to keep your patients alive.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to take work home with you. We all do.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to do CPR on a healthy 22 year old who got shot in the chest.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to cry with a patient’s family as they prepare to take their child off life support.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to see a 3 year old smile for the first time after their open heart surgery.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to watch a patient walk for the first time in 4 months since their car accident.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to celebrate with parents as their baby finally graduates from the NICU.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to feel the excitement of hearing “we got a pulse” after completing a code.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to see a baby take it’s first breath
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t like to get handmade cards from your pediatric patients thanking you for your care.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to see your long term dialysis patient finally get a new kidney.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want to help a new mother breastfeed for the first time.
Don’t become a nurse if you don’t want the satisfaction of saving a life after doing an emergency open heart surgery.

This list could go on and on and on. But my points is: don’t become a nurse if the second half of this list won’t make up for the things on the first half of the list. Because guess what? You’re going to get both. You’re going to get the long, hard hours. The loss. The frustration. The tears. The pain. The abuse. But you’ll also get the smiles. The gratefulness. The hugs. I would say that I get about one of those amazingly good days for every 5 of those painfully bad days. But I am still a nurse because it’s worth it. That one good day is worth all the other bad ones.

I didn’t intend for this post to be negative, I intended for it to be truthful and eye-opening. This nurse’s week, recognize the nurses around you realizing that they chose to become a nurse for the reasons on the latter half of this list. But they still have to face the reasons on the first half of the list every. single. day. And it’s hard. But we do it. Being a nurse has been my most Splendid Struggle yet. Happy Nurse’s Week!