ANNETTE CURTIS
1967-2018
The Nurse
In surgery, one observes closely what the patient experiences. At some point amongst all the stainless sterility, the subject of the experience morphs from just a patient into a real flesh and blood human person. One wonders at the intricacies of the human body as organs are exposed and one sees the literalness of life pulsing through every vein and artery. The wonder of it all becomes overwhelming. Then, when it’s over consciousness cracks open with a smile and drowsy eyes…life emerges…life and life-giving.
At home, happiness rarely appears. There is always anger and the pain from the violence never numbs itself away. One day out of nowhere, life changed in a crack…the crack of thunder.
No lightening…just darkness.
The nursing ended because moments come when the body freezes for a while. With treatments the body doesn’t always seize up, but sometimes the treatments don’t work.
Much has changed since the life-taking crack of thunder. It’s been twenty years since last witnessing the beauty of human life flowing within a person. There is no place called home. The struggle to survive while the body seizes-up becomes a fight between life and death every year, every month, every day…until a companion entered.
Now there is less fear…less anxiety.
The old life, both the good and the bad, gives way to new life and real love and things seem to work out better.
Experience demonstrates that, despite modern miracles performed by doctors and nurses, life and death are not controlled by mere mortals.
In the instant of a breath, life can end.
This time there is no thunder cracking, no enveloping darkness…now, life emerges with a smile and drowsy eyes open to see the peaceful crack of dawn breaking upon…me…
GOSPEL MIRRORING
Mark 5:21-43
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.
22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.
23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”
24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.
25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.
33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.
34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.
38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.
39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”
40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.
41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).
42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.
43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.