One thing that is required at the beginning of each term is some professional and personal goal setting. I set three goals in each area (and next term I'll tone it down a little, now that I realize how much there is to do and that I don't have as much time to work on the goals as I envisioned). It has been amazing to me, though, how some things have just come together, nearly effortlessly.
One of my goals was to compile a collection of poems, verses, sayings, etc., that I could bring along and share with patients as appropriate. I hadn't given it much thought since setting the goal because I've been caught up in staying on top of all of the regular requirements. Last week I went to my little book club meeting (there have been only 3 of us, now 4) and my good friend Linda, who was hosting, said, "Oh, I have something for you!" She disappeared for a minute and came back with this little black book, which she handed over, saying, "This is for you."
It is a small book entitled Sunlight and Shadows, published in 1947 by Bookcraft. I flipped through the pages and saw that it is filled with beautiful messages related to dying, resurrection, etc., something I will be continually addressing with patients and their family members. The most amazing part of this story is that I hadn't shared my goals with anyone except my instructor! Linda had no idea that I was intending to put together this type of collection. It is a PERFECT beginning and I cherish it already. It is definitely something that I couldn't even go out and purchase because it's no longer in print. The price penciled in on the inside cover? One dollar!
Another of my goals was to come up with a skill/ability/talent that I could bring as a volunteer. Some folks are singers, others are playing the harp or singing with their ukulele, etc. I was wracking my brain over what I could bring as my "thing". Having no idea what that would be (I took violin in my younger years, and I wish I could say that I was good at it, but that would be lying), I just put the words down and hoped that something would hit me and I'd know what to do.
Several weeks ago, my husband had met with a friend of ours to give him some tips for a book that this friend is writing. Last week my husband handed me a page of it to read, saying that he thought I'd enjoy it, that it was a pretty incredible experience. In that one page, the author mentioned playing his guitar and singing. That's when it hit me! I COULD RE-LEARN THE GUITAR!! Two months earlier, I had reclaimed my 33 yr. old guitar from my daughter's home, saying that I wanted to begin playing it again (and that was before any thought of chaplain school had even entered my mind), but I hadn't even cracked open the case yet. I had taken a few lessons in my early twenties but can't even play a chord right now.
I was so excited! I remember vividly how singing was one of the great joys left in my mom's life when she could no longer even make a sentence. She could remember all of the words to many songs and would sing and swing her body to the beat. Music can be upbeat, happy, memory-inducing, and soothing. And the guitar is very portable, so that makes it easy to grab and go on a moment's notice.
Last night I finally opened the case and found that all of the strings were in good shape, so I searched "how to tune a guitar" on YouTube and the first link I clicked on was simply going string by string, no long explanations or talking at all - it just got right to the point. I tuned it easily, strummed it a little, and felt like the planets had aligned just for me. I am so excited!!
And now if you'll excuse me, I have a little practicing to do . . . :-)
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