Papa mole sticks his head out of the hole and says, "I smell honey." Mama mole sticks her head out of the hole and says, "I smell honey." Baby mole sticks his head out of the hole and says, "I smell molasses."

I can be real a sense of 'we' when it is like that, unsure. It can become an even trade off in equality because in a sense it make everyone an aide because as a CNA I can say I need help or the nurse can say I need help and then we just do it together. I have never experience anything like it in any other job that I have worked at before.

Moodygrl, you bring up a good point. One of our good CNAs burnt out in the nursing home but with her license she got her a job that she does like at a treatment center. You get that license and it is like the world is your oyster. There are so many fields that you can go into. One of the D.O.N.s even gave us a guilt trip on how since the home paid our tution that we should atleast stay at home for one year. She really started saying that when so many got their licenses and if the heat got too bad would not even get upset any more and just say ok then get their check and leave.

Yeah, why is a good question. I like Jet Li's quote from, "The One" when transporting through the omniverse. "Why are you giving me such a tough time? I am only killing myself on those other 139 universes and each time I do it makes me stronger."

I saw it before but loved seeing it again. You are right. It is beautiful.

I would love to go to a WA group but I don't know if I could get time off from work for it and there aren't any around here so I don't know how many overtime hours I would have to put in to find and attend one. Oh ok. I will admit it I am sick.

That is a good point, Bearsman.

List of Twelve-Step groups

AA - Alcoholics Anonymous
ACA - Adult Children of Alcoholics (also abbreviated as ACOA)
Al-Anon/Alateen - For friends and family members of alcoholics.
AAA - All Addictions Anonymous [1]
A.R.T.S. Anonymous [2]
CA - Cocaine Anonymous
CDA - Chemically Dependent Anonymous [3]
CEA - Compulsive Eaters Anonymous [4]
CHAPTER 9 - Couples in Recovery [5]
CLA - Clutterers Anonymous
CMA - Crystal Meth Anonymous
CoDA - Co-Dependents Anonymous
COSLAA - Codependents of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous [6]
COSA - Codependents of Sex Addicts [7]
DRA - Dual Recovery Anonymous [8]
DA - Debtors Anonymous
Dep-Anon - Depressed Anonymous [9]
DDA - Dual Diagnosis Anonymous [10]
EA - Emotions Anonymous
EDA - Eating Disorders Anonymous [11]
EAA - Eating Addictions Anonymous [12]
FA - Families Anonymous [13]
FA - Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous [14]
FAA - Food Addicts Anonymous [15]
GA - Gamblers Anonymous
GSA - GreySheeters Anonymous [16]
MA - Marijuana Anonymous
NA - Narcotics Anonymous
Nar-Anon - For friends and family members of addicts.
NicA - Nicotine Anonymous
OA - Overeaters Anonymous
RA - Recoveries Anonymous; the Solution Focused Twelve Step Fellowship [17]
RCA - Recovering Couples Anonymous [18]
S-Anon - spouses and family members of sexaholics [19]
SA - Schizophrenic Anonymous [20]
SA - Spenders Anonymous [21]
SA - Sexaholics Anonymous
SAA - Sex Addicts Anonymous
SCA - Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
SIA - Survivors of Incest Anonymous [22]
SLAA - Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
SMA - Self-Mutilators Anonymous [23]
SPA - Social Phobics Anonymous [24]
SWA - Sex Workers Anonymous [25]
Sex Industry Survivors [26]
Social Phobics Anonymous [27]
WA - Workaholics Anonymous [28]

Groups with twelve steps only partially patterned after AA's
GROW
LDS Family Services Addiction Recovery Program [29]
PIR - Pagans In Recovery
STA - Self-Therapy Anonymous [30]

Hey, thanks. I need all the help and prayer I can get, Sis.

I have seen that happen because of being short staffed, mzmarlycia, where I work at on more than one occasion. Sometimes the paperwork get to the LPNs where I work. I have to be careful with my sarcastic remarks or they been known to go off on me. One of the nurses told she just wanted to sit in the floor because of all drama and politics that can on due to state visits. That is why I won't work dayshift. She even asked me one day if I wanted her job. I said heck no. They couldn't pay me enough to do your job. Good thing we have our own support group at work. Someday it is like multiple venting so that we don't all kill each other the stress and the expectations of the higher ups are so demanding. You have probably seen that sign on some job sites. "You want it when?" It can get to be really intimate work. In many cases you have no option but to be honest I have found.

Romans 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein, we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Oh, yeah. The nurse and me had this argument. Here she is fresh out of college and going to tell me how to do my job. She is upset that when I threw the dirty brief I would cause cross contamination when it hit the floor when I missed the trashcan. I am thinking, "Hey, the resident is important, too. Would you rather I let the resident fall in the floor to get rid of the brief so that I don't break the cross contamination law or that I protect the resident and not worry about dirty brief?" "Let the dirty brief bury the dirty brief." (Let the dead bury the dead.) The resident is what is important not the dirty brief." Good thing she has a sense of humor.

In My Secret Garden

In my secret garden hid from view
There is a treasure only for you.
Others just walk past it everyday;
It is invisible and safe that way.
It is covered by vines from sight
And not even detectable in light.
But how it grows natural and free
With tender loving care by me.

I got to see something really cool last Halloween. All the old people were in their gerichairs and wheelchairs by the door. The old ladies and men were giving out candy to the kids coming in. I don't who enjoyed it more the old folks or the kids.

That is so true, Unsure. One of the aides' daughter came in and said while walking through the different rooms with her mother, "Look, momma. There are grandmas in every room." The little kid just loved seeing all the old women." Out of the mouths of babes. It is so true.

Luke 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

I find the verse above to be applicable in the place I work.

Romans 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

This verse came true for me when an old resident helped me when I was upset with this one young nurse one night. I was wanting to tell the young nurse, "Hey, lady I was doing this kind of work when you were in diapers." I was changing this old lady's briefs(adult diapers) and she said while in dementia, "We all need help now and then". Man, did that old lady burst my bubble.

You're welcome Pip. Just remember it can be lonely at the top but that there is always plenty of room at the bottom. If you ever want to find what is below the totem pole then try working third shift. I wish you the best in whatever you choose.

I love being a CNA at a nursing home and don't aspire be anything but a CNA. Its a great ego killer and really helped me to find out what I am made of. It has helped me in so many ways in learning how to deal with many difficult problems in life that I have had. As far a monetary, beneficial or prestigious in a real world enviroment where one might think in terms getting ahead or up the corporate ladder - not bloody likely. I would have to say that I really love being a grunt and to serve others really serves me. Yesterday, when I went in to get a free calendar and ink pen at the funeral home the mortician was there who hauled off the corpses of my departed wife and departed girl friend. The mortician asked me if I worked at the same job and I said no I work at the nursing right across from his funeral parlor. He asked how my mother was doing and I told him that working at the nursing has helped me so spiritually to deal with those my loved ones departure. Helping others helps me. When I was first a care giver back in 1981 it just to have a job during my lay off and they told me then I could be a CNA but when my good union called me back I left the profession. When I first got the job at this nursing home I showed the Director of Nursing all the certifications; diplomas; awards and degrees I had in computing. She told me anybody could do the job as it doesn't take much mental ability but the hard thing to find is people who actually care about the residents. I have found that to be so true as I have seen them come and go for so many different reasons. To me it is like the old ad that the peace corps ran along time ago with the glass half full where the commercial asks you if you see the glass half full or half empty and they said if you saw the glass half empty they didn't need you but if you saw the glass half full then sign up for it is the hardest job that you will ever love. It is kind of like the Marine Corps slogan of looking for a few good men to me.

Blessed Be Or Blessed Are

Blessed be or blessed are
May you follow your star.

Glad you could make the trip. See you next fall.

I remember this one time I fell in lust. To quote a friend, "I sure stepped in something." Gees, I sure was twitterpated. My friends thought there was something wrong with me. I was sure glad they were there to pick up the pieces. They kept telling me to open my eyes. They kept asking me, "Can't you see she is just using you?" I would try to be noble and protect her. I would tell my friends they didn't know what they were talking about. Sure enough my friends were right. It sure is nice to have friends. They are there when the infatuation is over.

Enjoyable reading.