"I love Nuns! Pick Me!" true story.

I may be "over -blogging," but today was somethin' special.

Every week at team meeting, we go through patients one by one and discuss.   Sometimes there is a patient that I get a vibe on and ask if I can get on board and go see them.  Last week, I heard the words "farm" "catholic" country music" and "nun."  What else was I to to but yell out "I get along so well with catholics and nuns...send me! send me!"  They laughed, but they trust my judgement, and so I was sent.

And so, I drove through the beautiful back roads of Chelsea today in search of my new patient.  I missed the house because I was gazing at the majestic long horned steers in the field.  I think I said out loud "Are you kidding me?"  when I realize that I was destined to drive up that dusty drive and park in between the old red barns, those big ol' steers just daring me to try and pet them as I walked up to the stately old farm house.

Four sibling left out of a family of ten, born and raised right there in that farm house, lovingly gathered around one of their own as he prepares to makes his final journey....but not today folks.  Today was God given...today was made for farms, catholics, country music, and nuns.  As I walked up the drive, the full bellied man in the overalls yelled from the barn "I'll be in in a minute for the square dance!"  And so he was.

One of the sisters was indeed a sister.  The whole family had been baptized and buried at St. Mary's in Chelsea - they even spoke fondly of Joe's father.  This was meant to be.  The conversation flowed easily.  We sang and laughed.  I always feel that I am at a particular place when I am supposed to be for people, and that the music is exactly what it is supposed to be for people.  Families and patients request all sorts of quirky music, you really never know what you're gonna have to figure out the chords to in your head while a family stares hopefully at you.  So today, when one of the sisters requested "Hail Mary Gentle Woman,"  there was a moment of panic, and then i was transported.

It was every May Crowning that I had ever sat through.  Fancy spring dresses, always hoping that you would be the special student chosen to actually crown Mary with a wreath of flowers.  May Crowning also always happened to be grandparents day in grade school.  The church would be filled with students and grandparent beaming.  The young choir gloriously singing "Hail Mary Gentle Woman."  Us excitedly knowing that our grandparents got to take us out to lunch on that special day (Grandma Dorothy and Grandpa Clayton would take us to Ponderosa). (Grandma Rosie and Grandpa Joe were Coney Island people).

And so I sang for them.  I put down the guitar and I sang.  They cried and sang too.  I can't cry in that space, it's not my role, but I was so filled with goodness and happiness.  This is what life is about folks.  Family.  Faith.  Roots.  Contentment.  So this is my tribute to May, and the Blessed Virgin, because good Lord we are blessed!  We live in amazing spaces.  We have children and husbands and families that we adore, and that adore us.  We have each other, beautiful friendships filled with good food and belly laughs.

It's a perfect May day ladies and gents, go be good to someone.

And because I like blogs with pictures, here's me and the 

BVM (blessed virgin Mary) the night she was finished.