Humor

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The Chart Nurse
© 2006

by

Stephen A. Peterson


Gwen Watson, a St. Anthony Hospital nurse, had a 18 year old daughter who she thought needed to spend some time thinking about what future occupation she wished to pursue. Like many eighteen year old women, Angela did not really know what she really wanted to do. Angela felt she had plenty of time so she was not very concerned with the future at all.

During the Thanksgiving break from her college classes, Gwen decided to test her daughter. She went into her bedroom and placed on her computer table three items: a white lily in a crystal vase, a notebook, and a 30 ounce bottle of Mogen David wine.

“I’ll just hide in her closet to see what she chooses, “Gwen thought to herself,” when Angela comes back from her visit with her sorority sisters this afternoon. I’ll see what thing she chooses first.”

“If Angela chooses the lily, she’ll be a nurse just like me to give service and compassion to the sick and the World of God to sick of heart and spirit. If Angela chooses the notebook, she’ll be an inspirational writer and newspaper columnist for newspapers around the United States and world. If Angela picks the Mogen David wine, she’ll be a chef of a fine Asian restaurant in Oklahoma City—a job what would be a waste of her intelligence and time. What a shame that would.”

Gwen waited anxiously in Angela’s closet eating cashews while listening to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto number 4. around 8:00 PM Gwen heard Angela’s footsteps as she entered the front door calling out her mother’s name. Entering her bedroom, Angela tossed her coat on the bed. As she turned to go out the door of her room, she caught sight of the objects. With a frown on her face, Angela approached the objects. She picked up the vase, smelled the lily and gave a sigh of pleasure. She picked up the notebook, found a pen, then sat down to write these words: “Life is great! The day is wonderful. My friends are the greatest!!!” While writing these words, Angela unscrewed the bottle of Mogen David wine, poured about four ounces into a six ounce juice glass, then drank the contents in about 20 seconds.

“Oh, my gosh!” whispered Gwen, “my only daughter is going to be a General in the Army and jump out of perfectly good planes!!!!”

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