finished

So, another Wednesday that feels like it should be a Friday.
I have officially finished my first (and hardest) practicum for this year. And i must say that it feels very very good. But i will miss being at the hospital. some of my favorite times the last 6 weeks have been where i get to just sit with a patient or family member and talk about nothing in particular. i find that when we actually listen to people, the communication is a lot more meaningful. like the words of the old simon and garfunkel song that says "people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening". i challenge you to really listen to what people around you are saying, even if they don't say it out loud, we are always communicating. and when it is time to talk, make your words mean something.
a sad thing that happened to me today was just seeing a older gentleman come in and sit with his sick wife for a few hours. unfortunatly, she has dementia and alzheimer's and barely remembers him. even now, it hurts me to remember the way he looked at me and said "what a life, hey?". and i wondered if he was talking about his wife or himself. sometimes we just don't know where life is going to take us. those are the days when i am so grateful that someone else is more powerful and in control.
i also got to talk to my brother this morning. he is currently in ethiopia. i find that if i don't think about him, i don't miss him. unfortunaly, he has influenced my life so much, that it is hard to get away from all the things that remind me of him. but, he is doing well, and i believe that his is where he needs to be right now.