BY AMANDA GRIEME aka “PRUDENCE” of “Dear Prudence”

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

When my hopes flounder from disenchanting headlines, and my optimism is strangled by the insidious, choking vine I call doubt, I revisit the words of Mr. Albert Einstein:

“There are two ways to live:  you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”  Somehow, somewhere in the chasms of my soul, I know this to be a universal truth… one that justifies suffering as part of the universal process; an integral part of the miracle we call life.

Contributing today is Audrey of Stewartsville, New Jersey.  She is a beloved wife, mother of two, grandmother of one, a hairstylist of many moons, artist by passion, and friend to countless, very lucky people.

Having read Karina’s story, Audrey wanted to take a moment to share a series of events with all of you that she feels were no coincidence.

It was Mother’s Day, and her now grown children were in 3rd and 5th grade.  She woke with a raging fever and noticed that she broke out with a horrible rash: chicken pox.  Her husband Greg was away on business, and Audrey’s health deteriorated rapidly throughout the morning; she could hardly move, let alone properly take care of her children.  She was very disoriented and at a loss!  Oddly, there was a knock at Audrey’s door around lunchtime; her husband’s secretary, someone who seldom stopped by happened to be in the neighborhood.  Sandy the Secretary gasped when she opened the door, shocked by Audrey’s appearance! A deeply religious woman, she began to pray over her, then made arrangements for care for her children.  Sandy’s husband Joe took her to the Emergency Room.

“I was wheeled into the ER and immediately quarantined.  The doctor examined me and commented on the severity of my case; I simply recall being freezing cold and unable to express it because I felt so lousy.  The doctor left me in the care of two nurses who stood over me like I didn’t exist and argued about everything from my chart, to their schedules, to who was going to administer what IV, when and where… and continued to do so as they exited the room, having placed a thin sheet over me for ‘warmth.’ The nurses bickered all the way down the hall.”

A few minutes later, a nurse in a pink top with chestnut brown hair and a soft face sidled into Audrey’s room.  She gently touched her arm.

“You look so cold.”

All Audrey could do was nod.  She left the room for a moment and returned with warm blankets, tucking her in.  She then took Audrey’s hand to administer the needle for the IV.

“I felt nothing… not even a pinch!  She looked down at me with kind eyes, touched my shoulder and stepped out of the room.”

Not two minutes later, the “dynamic duo” returned with the IV set-up.  They looked down at her, wrapped in warmth with an IV.

“Hey, who administered the IV?  And where did these blankets come from?  We don’t give these out in the ER!”  Audrey told them that the nurse with the pink top and the brown hair had been there.

“What?”  They looked at each other.

“Who?  There is no nurse here that is wearing a pink top!”

They checked the label on the IV and it was the right one.  They argued over her and walked down the hall looking for the mystery nurse who was too generous with the blankets.  She was never discovered, nor did the doctor know who she was.  Audrey will forever refer to her as her CPA… not certified public accountant… but Chicken Pox Angel.

Readers, I think that it is a safe assumption that everyone reading this right now has a story to share about miraculous “incidents” in their lives, that some may consider coincidence. It is sharing that keeps us all afloat. I want to hear it, and will randomly choose a story to share each week!  I’d like to open the opportunity to readers to share their stories with newjerseynewsroom.com readers. Please email your stories to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I will fictionalize names unless you otherwise specify.

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”  Henry David Thoreau.

Amanda Grieme is a former English/Creative Writing Educator and most importantly, mother.  She LIVES with Bipolar Disorder choosing writing and radio as her catharsis and creative medium to help others. Her life experience with mental illness, self-medication and ten years as an educator lends invaluable, often quirky life advice. Please check out her debut novel, radio show and other endeavors:

http://youtu.be/PBQ3TADwSyQ

www.eloquentbooks.com/dearprudence.html

Host of “Dear Prudence” Radio – Life Advice to Help You Cope http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dearprudence