Luncheon with the Grande Dames

Wednesday was a day the retired nurses from Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania got together to eat lunch, catch up on things happening in our lives now, and swapping war stories from the front lines as we did our nursing tasks at the hospital. I call them the Grande Dames, because they are ladies with whom I grew older as I worked and became almost like family to me. They were the heart and soul of Frick Hospital.

Today’s luncheon was held at Sandhill Berries just outside of Mt. Pleasant. By a complete coincidence, several younger nurses that are still working at Frick decided to eat at the same time and the same place as our group. I was so happy to see the younger and older together, people that I really missed. It was the only thing that was bad about retiring. I wasn’t able to interact with these women who had become such a daily and intimate part of my life.

Being a nursing supervisor for nearly twenty-eight years, I was able to circulate throughout the entire hospital, meeting each nurse. Beyond that, I met almost every person from radiology, lab, maintenance, and security. When I retired, most of these ties were cut, leaving a large hole in my life. It was a true pleasure to be able to reforge those ties, even briefly. Just being surrounded with the familiar faces, slightly aged and voices that I was so used to hearing was an uplifting affair.

Often the work was exhausting and frustrating, but without these ladies, my job would have been so much more difficult. I want to thank you all for the memories that have etched themselves in my heart.