Destiny

Out of all the things I could pick off my hand written scrap list of items to begin writing about, today I am the spirit to began talking about a special someone, that God has placed on my path.

I remember, about four months ago walking down the hallway of Brigham and Woman's Hospital, to be specific, I was on the cardiac surgery unit, crossing over from 12 B, perhaps on one of my daily trips to around to the other Pods to say hello to Maria, and I bumped into a man...whose smile captured my very being. I recall vaguely as he was walking pass me, us both stopping, and looking at one another and from my recollection, we immediately joined forces and this nice man spoke these words to me: "Hello there," I replied with a sincere since of urgency, "Hello" noticing that he was walking with an Alaris pump for some form of IV line, it didn't cross my mind to ask him the typical question people tend to ask without much thought, 'how are you doing,' however my attention was immediately drawn to his ambition to steadily walk around--with liveliness, so I said: "Walking huh?" "Yes, trying to..."And before I knew it this gentleman and I were having a full-fledged conversation about writing. A conversation about walking turned into one about writing.

How it began, well… I rely mostly on the thoughts that I write down to assure I remember them; my memory, only retains a percentage of things I experience. What I remember is his sharing how astonished he was with the process of writing. He told me about an article that he recently read in either the Boston Globe or The Herald and somehow in conversation it came up that I am a writer. I told him that I have been writing for sometime now both leisurely and professionally.

His eyes light up. And he began to tell me stories in the hallway about how he always says, "I'm going to work on my biography someday," with a chuckle he mentioned it has always been his dream. In fact, he said he even went to school to learn how to be a writer. Fascinated by the process, we stood in the hallway for a little more than fifteen minutes taking about how precious the process of writing is. Words like "convey" and phrases like "the ability to put thoughts into words" were some of the resonating topics of our hallway conversation. And it was then, four months ago, that I experienced what some describe as destiny: a meeting that will forever have an impact on my very being.

"Is this Destiny?" is a question that I often ask myself pertaining to our meeting Mr. Powers and my meeting: I believe that "all there is consciousness; there is no doer and no free will—all is the impersonal functioning of consciousness, or God's will; life is a movie which is produced, written, casted, directed, acted, and watched by consciousness on the screen of consciousness." --Hermetic Philosophy

The way we met and the connecting thread that has essentially opened up the door to our friendship has brought me to the realization that we are placed on this earth for special and specific reasons, unknown to man but very relevant and up lifting. Mr. Powers is an example of that uplifting nature.

There's not a time that I see him, when he's not smiling. Even on the days that he is not feeling the way he would like to, when he laying down in a hospital bed, with a multitude of people coming in and out of his room, asking questions and taking his blood pressure...he remains one of the most pleasant patients that any nurse could have. With a smile, a generous comment like, "She's my friend," "My favorite nurse," in reference to me, at one time, and the two of his favorite nurses, at another. Mr. Powers has what it takes to make one smile. I can’t recall a day he hasn't whispered to me words of wisdom from his hospital bed to my heart. On this particular day he said: "Keep writing. Never give up. Not only can you write but you also do it well, were his words.

His eyes were glossy, his heart...reached out and influenced me never stop writing.

I stared bringing Mr. Powers my articles after our meeting in the hallway. And every time I'd bring him copies of my work, He'd sigh in excitement how happy he was to read my last piece, how talented he considered me and how I should, "never give up.”

For many reasons I will never give up. Mr. Powers certainly one of those reasons. His influence has had an impact on my as a person---beyond appreciation. Genuine and humble his smiles keep me grateful for what life can be. I don’t know what he feels inside but I know that he is a man who encourages and pulls strength from within to give to others. Like Mr. Powers I will continue...walking to the beat of the drums of destiny, no matter what.