With a newly minted Registered Nurse degree in 1937, my mother
donned a crisp white uniform, nursing cap, stockings. A navy-blue
wool cape was worn on house calls as a public health nurse. She
worked until she married in 1941. I was awestruck by her stories.
On the back seat of a taxi, my mother assisted a woman who
gave birth on the way to the hospital. Things had progressed
rapidly. Without a blanket, she wrapped the newborn in
an unread newspaper which the cab driver provided. When
I asked my mother about the newspaper, she informed me
it was considered sterile. I imagine the hospital bathed the
child and swaddled it in a soft blanket. I nearly gave birth
in our car. We made it to the hospital with 15 minutes to spare.
Our daughter has inherited her grandmother’s nursing
cape and cap. Today she is a NP and began her career as
an RN. Much has changed with the profession these
days. One snowy December evening my mother
received a phone call from a frantic husband.
His wife was screaming in pain and thought it
might be her stomach. My mother quickly assessed the
situation at hand. The woman was 44. Had she
consumed something to cause her severe
stomach pains? Since her husband was not ill, my
mother examined the woman and asked a few questions.
Had the woman gained weight recently? She had,
but chalked the weight gain to the middle age
spread. During the examination of the woman, my
mother learned that this couple had tried for years to conceive
but had resigned themselves to a childless marriage.
My mother said there was nothing wrong with the woman’s
stomach and informed her she was in labor and going
to have a child! Imagine their surprise and shock! Then
joy at the prospect! My mother assisted the woman and
remained with her after determining the birth was
imminent! She instructed the husband to gather a
blanket and supplies. Soon the kitchen table was
readied for the birth. The husband was told to
turn the oven on to its lowest temperature. After a few more
pushes, the kitchen was filled with the cry of the newborn. It
was a girl. She was kept warm and could be observed through the
open oven door. The ecstatic parents marveled at the early
Christmas gift they had received. Laughter followed
as the woman kept saying she had gained weight but
never thought much about it thinking she was a
middle aged woman. What a blessing and a miracle!
That’s a marvelous Christmas story. I always enjoy reading about your family and seeing your great photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anne, what a joy-filled comment! Thank you. It is hard to fathom that nurses in my mother’s day had no cell phones or cars. They relied on taxis and the bus for transportation. The occasional car owner might help out in a pinch. I didn’t know that newsprint was considered sterile if no one had read the newspaper. It makes sense. Common sense and problem solving took place more often then as well. I often wonder about that Christmas miracle baby who was a complete surprise to the parent. Alive and living where? Enjoy your weekend. Happy Advent and December. Be well. oxox
LikeLike
John’s mother was a nurse in Brooklyn.
Newspapers — when we lived in England 40 years ago, fish and chips were wrapped in newspaper sheets
We are catching up on Advent, since daughter Lise went back to Denmark Tuesday. We are behind in decorating the house, and I have missed several devotional readings.
I hope your December is going smoothly. oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anne, how great that you have a nurse in the family too. Kudos to John’s mother! I woke up this morning remembering fish and chips on street corners in England and roasted chestnuts in Paris. Your daughter travels a lot. How are things in Denmark for her? Our decoratiions are simple, few and done. We just have to worry about high winds and our nativity scene. Enjoy the weekend and Advent season. oxox
LikeLike
Lise couldn’t travel except to come here, so we were fortunate to get two visits this year. She has an invitation to go to Italy for Christmas. Waiting for restrictions to be lifted is testing her patience. She likes working from home, although she doesn’t mind going to the office. Danes had quite a bit of freedom until COVID numbers rose recently. Now they are masking again and testing for the virus incessantly.
We’ve had high winds today. One old dead tree fell near the road, but only small top branches extended into the road. Mary and Joseph are hanging on for dear life in our yard. oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mary and Joseph are in our garage until tomorrow. We have done this three times now. Haha. Where in Italy? It should be lovely at Christmas. Be well. We too have high winds. oxox
LikeLike
Lise named several cities, but I don’t remember which one he friend lives in. I’ll see if she mentions it again. oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lago Garda is a beautiful like in the north of Italy. I have stayed there and loved it. Rome is awesome and Venice too. The pace of life is so different. Shops used to close for about 4 hours in the afternoon so owners and workers could take a nap. Dinner was about 10:30 PM to which most Americans are unaccustomed. Whenever I traveled to a new place, I tried to keep pace with the natives. oxox
LikeLike
I’m sure you are good at keeping pace with the natives. We relaxed in Venice and were scared silly by the wild drivers on the streets of Rome. oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read a German travel guide which suggested not to be the first to cross the street when the light changed but let others start and then join them. Good advice especially since drivers drove through many a red light. Venice in the gondola was a fright for me when the “driver” started an oar fight with a gondola next to us. I just didn’t like the thought of falling in that murky water. Lots of honking horns in Italy and in tunnels where there were signs NOT to honk horns. Hahaha. We both had our “fun” in Italy. oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
We were driving on a highway with five lanes. Italians drove eight abreast. oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
Typical there and in France when they all converge to make a left turn! I frequently closed my eyes and never drove in either country. Definitely not our style in this country! oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, the wonder of it all… 💞 Beautiful story and photos, Mary Ann! xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bette, thank you so much for your kind comment. Little did my mother know that I would recall her memories of working as an RN in public health. So glad you appreciated the story. Be well and enjoy the weekend. oxox 💞
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful Christmas story. I’m sure that baby was well-loved and cared for. I think it is so great that your daughter has your mother’s nursing cape and cap. She looks perfect in them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Darlene, your comment is much appreciated. Thank you. I agree about that baby being well-loved. My daughter wears my mother’s cape well. Have a lovely weekend and Advent season. Be well. oxox
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! That’s just a wonderful story! If I saw his as a movie on the Hallmark Channel, I would’ve said, “No way! So unrealistic! ”
Happy Holidays from Central Mass. 😉
Julie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Julie, I am humbled by your beautiful words about the story. I think it is accurate about the story line and a movie too. There are so many surprises in life. These just happen to be true. Enjoy the weekend and your December. Advent Season and then Christmas. How time flies! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
A wonderful story about your mother and for the season. Cheers to your daughter for joining a worthy profession.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frank, thank you so much. We have many healthcare professionals in the family. I agree with you on the topic of a worthy profession. Hope you have a wonderful weekend and December. Be well. ^^__^^
LikeLike
Lovely blog! Xoxo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Emily, thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. Much appreciated. Enjoy the weekend and Advent season. oxox
LikeLike