We Were Driving Right by

the hospital, so The Yard Man suggested we should stop and visit his nephew, who had been admitted a few days earlier.  We weren't sure if the nephew was still in residence, but we parked in the hospital's parking garage, went into the lobby, and discovered that he'd been discharged.

"Well," said The Yard Man, "Since we're here at the hospital, why don't we go up to Intensive Care and see where you were hanging out last year today?" 

"Hmmm," I said, then, "Sure."

I have very few memories of my near month-long visit in the ICU.  I didn't know if another short visit  would elicit a shudder or not, but I was curious to find out.

Walking past the row of gurneys parked outside the door of the Intensive Care Unit gave me a brief quaking flashback, but once inside the door we spotted a nurse whom The Yard Man recognized immediately.  When he greeted her, and she turned and saw us walking toward her, her eyes opened wide.   

"Oh!" she said, "Oh!" as recognition dawned.
"I'm so happy to see you!" We hugged and tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. 
She gazed at me fondly and hugged me again.
Reader Dear, though I didn't know her well, I felt a loving connection, aware that she had cared for me as one would care for an infant!
There was a bit of fussing over me, then, by The Yard Man and this nurse, both of whom had been privy to the intricate details of my squeak-through-death's-door stay in ICU (basically, my visit in absentia).  Nay asked about the intervening year since she had seen me; she asked about my daughters and son, with whom she'd had plenty of interaction; she asked about my life story as it continues today.  When The Yard Man and I left, she said, "I am so happy that you came in! Thank you, thank you.  I'm going to tell the rest of the staff about this!"

And then she said, with heartfelt emotion, "You made my day!"

Oh, Dear Reader Dear, I am ready to give her full credit for my very survival!  Let me just say this about this loving little nurse:   "She made my day!"*

......................................


*and possibly years of them!