We Are One

                   I love this photo, it's not me and Rose but it's a nice representation of the spirit I'm hoping to                    
                                                                                    capture in our blog today


So, in the Spring of last year two days a week I volunteered at an Oncologist/Hematologist office in North Miami Beach. Don Poster, the wonderful doc I worked with has a sole practice - he is the only physician and he works 7 days a week. When I asked Don how I could help the most he said he knows there are unanswered questions some of his patients have and emotional support they need; he wanted me to be a patient advocate. 


We saw clients together and when he finished his exam and finished talking with them explaining their care he would leave and I would stay if I sensed there was something more we needed to provide. I met so many interesting people. Many of his clients are from Haiti, many from Russia and Canada and every latin county you can imagine. 


One of our clients, Rose, came in for follow up care for her intestinal tumor. She is originally from Jamaica and like myself, she is a nurse. She was beautifully dressed with a colorful red and yellow dress and flowery sandals. Her toenails were painted the color of this font. She has to get injections every week and she asked the doc if she could give them to herself. As she was preparing the medication I sat beside her and we chatted. She had been an OB nurse in Jamaica and people from her community would come to her home when they were worried about this or that. Her door was always open. She has such a kind face and gentle way, no wonder they would come.

As she slowly prepared her injection that required a big, fat needle, we talked about all the fruits you can pick right off the trees in Jamaica and how great it is to swim in the clear, blue water. She told me that 80% of the people in Jamaica don't know how to swim. We discovered we both love coconut and sunsets.

Without a single peep she gave herself the injection and I cleaned up afterward and as she was getting ready to leave she reached her beautiful, capable, long, black arms around me and pulled me to her and said boldly, "We are one," and she didn't let me go for about a minute.

There we stood in our differences and in our sameness.

With every best wish and a big one minute cyber-style Rose hug from - Donna Rae


I hope you enjoy this little photo gallery. The first image is my son-in-law and his nephew/my grandson. The rest of the images I downloaded from the net. Thank you to the photographers for providing these wonderful photos.