The Sun Also Rises

I woke up this morning at 5:45. I sometimes hate my internal clock. But I’m really a morning person, so once I’m up and dressed, it’s all good. I mean, when you live in a house full of kids, youngest age 11, the morning may be the only quiet time you get!

Unfortunately, this morning I woke with a headache. I REALLY hate that. In the interest of being positive about it, though, I realize that if I start the day with a headache, I’m pretty sure the rest of the day will only get better, right?

I took some Excedrin, then sat in the chair by my side of the bed, looking at Facebook on my teeny-tiny iPhone screen. Since I live on the East Coast, and most of my friends live in the West, there’s usually a lot of FB activity that’s occurred during the time I was sleeping. As I read several entries that made me smile…some even made me laugh out loud….I realized that out of the corners of my mind I was seeing and hearing something. When I focused, I realized I could hear the joyful chorus of the morning’s birds. I would have missed that had I not been awake so early. By the time the heat and humidity kick in, the birds are usually quiet and hiding somewhere. And the sunrise I could see out my window was breathtaking. I thought of taking a picture, but I realized no picture could really capture how beautiful it was. Again, if you sleep too long, you can’t see a real, live sunrise.

Yesterday I learned that my hubby had been officially offered a job working at Kings Dominion. No, he’s not helping people get on and off a roller coaster. He’s going to be working with their “first aid” department, which is really a lowly title for the people who are there to help others who have an emergency while enjoying the park. Now, don’t get excited. It pays little more than a Wal*Mart greeter’s job, but it’s a fun way to serve others who would really rather not be sick/injured that day. I know he’ll be good at the job. He’s amazing when he puts on his “medic” hat. Having been his patient at least twice (delivering both our babies), and having seen him with other people who were unexpectedly caught up in an accident, I get blown away every time I see him work.

So that leads me off on a tangent. Have you ever noticed how obvious it is to see someone doing something he truly loves? Or something that fits him like a glove? That’s how it is when I see my hubby at work in the EMS field. He’s really good. Not only is he fascinated by all things medical, but he’s really able to make a connection with the patients and make that moment in his life all about them. I can tell you that I’d much rather the worst moment of my life be handled by someone who treats me like an individual in pain rather than by someone who is a burnout and just sees me as the latest annoyance. Our baby is so sweet and compassionate, and she has plans to be a surgeon one day. She is fascinated, as well, by all things medical, so I have a feeling that the future Dr. Barksdale will change lives in a good way :D

And that’s one of the reasons I love what I do. Like I mentioned in my most recent post, almost any witness who is seated before me wishes he or she were somewhere else. That doesn’t count the expert witness who’s charging more than I’m making for the day. But the woman who was in the car accident and is there to detail her injuries and how they’ve affected her life…or the guy who was in the car that hit her and is really sorry he was ever there…those people wish they could have changed anything to make that day never happen. There have been divorce and custody cases that broke my heart. I’ve even reported the deposition of a “guest” of the Virginia Department of Corrections who was being accused of setting the fire to his mother’s townhome which caused his disfiguring injuries. Now, having to be with these people isn’t what I like. What I like is being able to look at them and remember that my JOB is their LIFE. I try to be friendly and kind. I treat them all the same…even the VDC guest. For the little bit of time they are with me, they get my respect and as much thoughtfulness as I can muster. Everybody deserves that, don’t you think?

So now I’m sitting in hubby’s office at 7:21. I’ve been awake forever, it seems. I’ve opened the window to enjoy the sound of the birds and the only cool, dry air I’ll feel all day. While hubby’s on his way back to the station from the hospital (long after his shift was actually over), I’m planning later this morning to drive down to A.P. Hill to take my son in for his shift at the Boy Scout Jamboree (he’s working for a vendor). I love the drive down there, and I’m sure we’ll be able to have the windows down because it’ll still be before noon. Then it’s back into Fred to take my other son in for his French horn lesson. Oddly enough, I have found that I really like horn music, and I never even knew that’s what it was! I like being able to share that with my son, “Hey, hear the horns?!” Somewhere in the middle of the morning, my baby’s friend will come over to spend the day, then my baby will go home with her friend to spend the night and go to church with her family, as hubby and I are….wait for it…..leaving early Sunday morning for Ohio :D

Okay. Let’s take inventory. Up freakishly early for a Saturday morning, having a slight headache, anxious about any number of things? A little annoying. Aware that this little piece of my day and my world is beautiful and happy? Priceless.