Mother Hen

6/25/09
Today there were 3 people “shadowing” Child Life at the hospital. Two connect girls interning in anaesthesia were instructed to observe us as an alternative to medicine. Dayna (I just learned today that it’s spelt with a Y) has asked to come in and help out this week. I chose today unaware that the other 2 girls would also be with us. Typically, Thursdays are busy theatre days so I knew there would plenty for all of us to do…except that this particular Thursday was abnormally slow. Lauren and Kate did, however, get the opportunity to see me prepare 2 children and accompany 1 child to theatre. Dayna did a fabulous job of entertaining any child in need of some extra attention. Even still, what a mission! The three girls are fabulous and super helpful and Annalise stepped up and also did a great job of delegating, but it was still a lot of work. I suppose it was a saving grace that the hospital wasn’t busy. Doing both might have been the end of me. One of the girls referred to me as “the mother hen”. This got my attention because I’ve never played that role. There has always been someone who has seniority over me, or is just plan more mature than me. Especially now that my coworkers are gone, connect kids are all so much younger than me. The typical connect volunteer is either in between semesters or interning as part of their major. For the first time, when talking about pop culture, I am on the older end. For the first time, I feel legitimately old. The shift, for me, is startling but not necessarily negative. It is simply: life.

After work, Sarah, Dayna and I took the bug to Kalk Bay. Neither of them had been before and I jump at any chance to return. I convinced them to have lunch at Olympia Café (where I had my most fav salad in the world: feta, beetroot and pine nut) and then visit the bakery for (the most delicious cup of) coffee and dessert. I was thrilled to hear that they mimicked my love for both the town as well as the food. We explored the shops and the harbor before heading to Muizenberg to take pictures of the famous guest houses that brightly line the shore. I love these beach towns. Cape Town is surrounded by them. The easy access to the beaches and mountains are at the very top of my list of things I will miss about this city.

harbor walk in kalk bay

LESSON #19: A QUOTE I FOUND IN KALK BAY...“A blessing from a place of safety and comfort from which you may remember who you are, where you came from, and what you came here to do.”