Tag: reflections

Capturing the moments

When we are kids, we can’t wait to be adults. We think adulthood is some
magical, mythical world where many joys and freedoms reside. Our immature minds cannot comprehend the responsibility being an adult brings. We are far too self-centered at the time and rightly so, to think past our own wants and
needs. We think 30 is ancient and 50 is prehistoric until time seems to speed by,
and, in a blink of an eye, we find ourselves in our parents’ shoes.

Seemingly shocked and unaware of how time morphed from then till now, so
quickly. How did we go from milk and cookies and afternoon naps on cots with friends to paying bills and stressing over adult decisions? Just yesterday, we were picking the highest number to keep from being “IT” all while scoping
out the nearest hiding spots, not too close to home base to be deemed a
cheater.

We did not cherish the sanctity of ignorance and the bliss of childhood
naivete and innocence. Milk and cookies have been exchanged for wine and
charcuterie boards. We did not understand back then when elders would say,
‘getting older was both a blessing and a curse’ as they mourned the loss of
friends, mates, and lovers.

Yet, as we mature and find ourselves in those proverbial shoes of our
parents, we are forced to see things in a brand-new light. As we deal with the
caring of elderly, frail parents or mourn the loss of them. As we navigate
memories of simpler times while hugging friends/family that we failed to keep
in touch with as we pay respect to others lost. Being an adult with all its
perks and freedoms was a heavy place to be.

We use the examples provided by those that went before us. Finding ourselves
repeating phrases to our children that were once said to us as we rolled our
eyes in arrogant youthfulness. We have tidbits of wisdom and have become the
praying warriors our parents and grandparents were. Dealing with our own
children, we see firsthand why some of our parents talked to God so much.

Time passes quickly, whether or not you want it to. And once time has passed,
you can’t get those moments back. That’s why it’s imperative to capture the
memories. So, take time to create a life and not just create a career. Make
real and lasting connections with those you love and care for. A picture does
not have to be aesthetically perfect, for it to be a perfect picture. It’s the
memories and feelings the picture evokes that make it perfect.

In our society, so much time is invested in preparing our children to be
little adults, instead of pushing them to enjoy their childhood, the innocence
and joy of it. Let them laugh, encourage them to play. Let them explore and
teach them to enjoy every minute, creating special memories from everyday
moments.

Take the time to make the time to connect with friends and family and not
just in line giving respects at a funeral. There aren’t many things guaranteed
in life, but death is one thing we all will one day experience, so make those
moments between the dashes count. Live life and capture every memory.

~Micaiah

My wish for 2022

I didn’t make any resolutions per say, I’d label them more goals, manifestations or key words.

I’m working towards being a better me daily.

My keywords are: completion, abundance, dedication and renew.

I fervently hope 2022 brings fresh energy with it and good health. This pandemic has been rough to live through, but we take the bitter with the sweet and keep it pushing.

I hope people give themselves the grace they extend to others this year.

I hope people learn to love themselves in such a way that it lends itself to treating others better as well.

Even if the world is unkind, I plan to practice more mindfulness and being grateful.

I plan to love myself so well, others smile when they see my happy glow.

Big changes can occur by first taking small steps.

Sometimes we overwhelm ourselves by planning too big.

We need to take small bite sized portions of those big plans to make them more manageable.

Also, having more small steps can give you a greater sense of accomplishment when you are able to scratch them off as completed. Let 2022 be about celebrating the small wins too.

We may not have arrived at our desired destination, but if we give ourselves credit we’ve done far more than we often realize.

So, 2022 is about self-love, self-care, space from people, things and energy that no longer serve you and grace.

I pray you find peace and joy in the simple things and that you understand sometimes you are more rich than your back account would imply.

No matter what your dreams, goals, resolutions or aspirations look like, I am claiming they all come true! Let’s go have an awesome year, no matter what comes our way!

~Micaiah

A Shortage of Sheep

It seems there must be a shortage on sheep, because I can’t find a single one to count myself to sleep.

It seems the older I become the more insomnia becomes my best friend.

The life and mind of a procrastinating creative, ha. I lie in bed thinking of all the things I could be doing, writing or creating, while at the same time doing nothing at all.

It’s the hamster wheel of thoughts that play in a loop that makes sleep seemingly impossible; yet you don’t want to rev up your engines too much because it’s counterproductive to becoming sleepy.

Are you just as frustrated reading this as I am feeling it?

Good, at least I’m not alone.

Melatonin only seems to work, when it’s time to wake up, then my body wants to relax and drift off into slumber. And yes, I’m aware that using electronics or blue light counteracts the Melatonin kicking in your natural circadian rhythm.

However, there’s only so much laying in the dark thinking about sleep I can do before my mind requires more.
It’s great when ideas come during the cloak of night, except when your alarm is set for 6 in the morning. Yet more often than not, my ideas strike at the most inopportune time. Instead of zzz’s, I have glowing embers from my thoughts and ideas.

Oh, how I envy my sister and daughter, who think the word sleep and then fall into blissful slumber as soon as their head hits the pillow. What type of sleep sorcery do they possess? I have yet to ascertain their magic formula. Nor is the sandman a friend of mine. The sandman tends to avoid me worse than a friend that owes you money they never plan to pay back.

Meditation works while I’m in the midst of it and then when the metaphorical tone sounds, denoting the end of the meditation, it never fails that my relaxed state ebbs away and I’m left to my thoughts, dreams and aspirations.

Reading doesn‘t work either, because I love to read and often have to force myself to put a book down and go to bed.

I guess I truly shouldn’t complain because being awake tonight did allow me to write this post, so maybe I should be thankful that just like Little Bo Peep, I’ve lost my sheep and don’t know where to find them. But I’m going to try real hard to wrangle up a few and catch a few zzz’s.

~Micaiah

Always Under Construction

Lately, my life has been looking like a lane on I-75/I-71 going through Cincinnati, constantly under construction. I am constantly trying to get things in “order” so that I can be my “best” self. And I have come to realize just like the never ending construction that I bemoan on the highways that pass through my city, the construction in my life is also never ending and that’s okay.

My life my never be ideal or perfect, but just like we navigate through and around orange barrels, detours and redirects; we must do the same in our lives. Because whether it’s a street map or life map, if you keep driving/pushing eventually you will make it to your final destination.

That journey may not look like anyone else’s and while it’s frustrating to witness others arrive before you, it can also be inspirational and motivational. Perspective is the ability to change your outlook by changing your attitude or view of the situation. Sometimes life defers our moments so that we can better appreciate them when they occur. Trust that delayed is truly not denied.

While navigating my own detours and redirects, I have come to the realization that if you do not work daily to motivate yourself, you won’t be motivated. Motivation takes daily work, time and commitment. It also takes the gumption to stop putting off hard tasks, whether those tasks be physiological or psychological in nature; you have to show up and do the work.

My biggest weakness or flaw that I am constantly working on is procrastination. I allow myself to become comfortable with the excuses that I have told myself are acceptable so as to assuage the guilt of my complacency. Yeah, we feed ourselves excuses instead of feeding ourselves motivation sometimes. Starve your distractions and feed your focus is a mindset I have yet to master, but I’m under construction right? While it’s true I may be a constant work in progress, I still need to see some small steps towards progress; which means committing myself to work on the things that keep me from progressing i.e. my procrastination.

Procrastination is a low key arrogance issue, because it tends to create a false sense of being guaranteed the time of tomorrow. We all know tomorrow isn’t promised, yet we will allow ourselves the comfort of complacency by stating we will do “it” tomorrow, whatever “it” is. We need to take the leap and do it today.

Do “it” scared, unprepared, under stress, with less than optimal finances. Just do it! We can’t be worried about the messiness of our construction in our lives. It may not be pretty, but if that mess leads to your ultimate progress than it’s more than worth it.

I have determined not to give up or give in. I can’t be the next New York Times Best Selling Author if I’m not writing. I can’t be my best self if I’m not working and taking those small steps towards progress. So, I’ll be content with the orange barrels and detours in and around my life and remind myself that as long as I stay moving, eventually I’ll get to where I want to go and you will too.

~micaiah

Hello Nurse…

When I was younger I had so many different dreams and aspirations of what I’d be in life. For a while I dreamed of having a law firm with two of my other friends we would be Baker, Bean and Reid Associates at Law.

Funny, only one of us actually went into law; but another one did throw her hat in a political/policy influencing arena and sits on Oakland’s City Council.

I, on the other hand, had no long standing law affiliated aspirations. I decided pretty early I’d go into the medical field, early enough that I decided to take Latin to help me later with all the medical terminology I’d learn, and boy it truly came in handy. While others struggled I seemed to breeze right through medical terminology, so much so, I tutored and assisted the instructor during Pharmacology classes for my Licensed Practical Nurse program.

I started as a Home Health Aide then became certified as a State Tested Nursing Assistant. Let me just say nursing assistants are the backbone of health care especially long term care and they don’t get enough attention and appreciation.

It’s hard, sometimes back breaking work, yes they have way more tools and lifting equipment now than they had back in 1993 when I started out, but still it’s laborious work, if you truly care and give your residents the care they deserve.

I didn’t get into the medical field for the money, I got into it for the care and service to the people. I truly have a heart to help others be their best selves. Lots of people chose a career in nursing because it’s an honest and noble living and because they too wanted to help and serve others and it showed in the quality and type of care given to the residents and patients.

In recent years, it seems more are turning to nursing as an easier way to make decent money with a short amount of schooling required to start.

You can definitely tell the difference in the quality of the nurses that are being turned out now versus in the past.

Too many people don’t do it for the passion, they do it to floss and flex for the masses and in the end it’s our sick and vulnerable populations that suffer. This lack of true caring and consideration is what burns out the nurses that truly have a heart for the people and care.

It’s not the patients that really wear you out it’s the policies and politicking. It’s the cuts and poor management and out of touch Administration. It’s coworkers that don’t give as good as they get. It’s work being piled onto your good and dependable worker and no recompense for the bad apples on the team.

Somehow, nursing has to turn back into the passion filled career it once was and not just the lucrative field it’s turning into. The nation is capitalistic and I know this more than anyone, but we also have a world of people that are living longer but chronically sicker, so we have to get back into the act of honestly caring for their well-being.

I had some excellent role models for nurses.

We need more older nurses willing to invest in and mentor these younger nurses. We need nurses that don’t eat and alienate their young. We need advanced practice nurses that humble themselves and realize that initials and titles don’t automatically equate to great nurses, it goes beyond that to mindset, common sense and skill set.

Honestly, I know lots of LPNs that I would allow to care for me before some RN’s. We can’t forget the struggle just because we make it beyond it. We have to remember the humanity in nursing and our why behind becoming one.

Nursing has to get back to the art of care and compassion we were known for.

So, as we embark upon another Nursing Week, I implore you to do your part in keeping nursing a compassionate and honorable profession.

If not for the sick and infirm there would be no need for the nurse.

And as you care for others always remember it could be you or someone close to you on the other end of needing care.

~micaiah RN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My own truth

Walking, no, more like stumbling through life
Vision blurred by all that’s occurred

Not staying on course has my dreams deferred
Allowed myself to lose focus
Due to foolishness and hocus pocus

Let comparison rob me of objectivity
had me forgetting about the blessings just for me

Doubt had me believing delayed had turned into denied
Had me trusting in worry and anxieties lies

Had to get regrounded and regroup
Had to familiarize myself again with my own truth

Had to remind myself of whose child I was
And that my gifts are truly a blessing from above

There is no timeframe or race
Just continue on and keep the pace

With renewed faith, my vision cleared
And once again I’m ready to tackle all I once feared.

~micaiah

Through the process

Shed the skin of expectancy and peel off the facade of perfection.
Free your heart from the shortcomings of others and yourself.
Unburden your shoulders from carrying the shame of associating with soulless beings.
Cleanse your eyes from the blurry half truths and focus on the freedom of reality.
Change occurs only with the realization that there is room for improvement.
Whether you improve your physical, mental, emotional, financial or spiritual well-being it all ends in your betterment.
Be better and most importantly love yourself through the process.
~micaiah

Keep the faith

It’s easy to say you believe when things are great.

Faith is tested when you are.

It’s ok to feel weak, just don’t quit believing that you will make it through.

A whole lot of battles are lost because the mind gave up first and the body followed suit.

Don’t let that be you, tap into your strength(Faith).~Micaiah

Covid Realities

So I started with some hoarseness Friday 17th attributed to sleeping to close to AC vent didn’t feel horrible so didn’t think much of it. Sat morning dry cough that quickly became moist and accompanied by chills. Started isolating as not to give Jamiyah my “cold”. Continued all my immune boosting daily supplements. Sunday morning awakened with no sense of taste or smell and a 102 fever. Scheduled an appt for Trihealth in Walgreens and tested for Covid. Went back home and continued strict isolation precautions. Purchased pulse ox to closely monitor myself. At first I was staying 95-97% in room air then noticed fevers not staying away and sats dropping some. Tuesday result positive for Covid. Continued to push fluids, herbs, supplements, teas and lots of prayers. Weds night I felt I couldn’t breath as deeply and temp spiked higher, Early Thursday I could barely breath after going to bathroom so headed to Good Sam ER. Diagnosed with pneumonia on top of Covid and admitted. Breathing has been a struggle and I am on supplemental oxygen but I am doing better than some so I won’t complain. The Nurses at Good Sam have been great. My Dr Anjum Najeed has been proactive and started me on Redemsivir so today will be dose 3, praying to see real marked improvement. This has been rough to put it mildly, but I have so many praying friends and family members that even though I am physically without visitors I feel surrounded by love and support. Special thanks to The Almighty that has already told me I’ll be victorious in this battle and for blessing me with a daughter that is wise beyond her years and understands far more than even some adults. Also thanks to my sister Rhonda Baker Napier and cousin Jamasha Hardy for ensuring I don’t have to worry about Jamiyah while fighting my way back to health. To all my sisters, sister-friends, brothers, friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, play cousins, God parents, bffs, nieces and nephew’s and coworkers. I love and appreciate you all! Keep the prayers coming. Victory is Near❤️❤️❤️❤️HalleLuYAH!!!!

~micaiah

%d bloggers like this: