Eyes To Behold Wonder

Ms Betsy, you don’t know me. I have been keeping Ms Brooks in my heart and in my thoughts since she was in Leesville Rehab Hospital towards the end of 2021. My husband worked there and was her nurse sometimes. The way I knew this terrific lady is that I worked at Beauregard Memorial Hospital twice. The first time I can recall seeing and talking to her was sometime in the spring of 1989 when I had been a nurse for only a few years. My then-husband was in the military and I was living in Leesville while he was in Korea. I was the charge nurse on 2N on the 3-11 shift…not because I wanted to be the charge nurse but just because that is how the staffing fell. I do NOT do pediatrics, but for some reason they sent a 2- or 3-year old child to our floor from the ER. The child wasn’t really particularly ill, but STILL…I do not do peds! So, I told the parents I would do the best I could but I was not a pediatric nurse. As I went out into the hallway, I happened upon Ms Brooks. Now, at the time, I didn’t know this feisty little lady other than to know she was the house supervisor. So, I proceeded to say “WHY did you let them send me a pediatric patient?! I do not do peds and I told the parents that.” Ms Brooks told me, “Well, but you can’t say that.” I told her, well, yes I can because I had just done so. The parents weren’t upset about what I had said. Anyway, that all worked out fine because as soon as they had a bed open on 2S (which was the peds floor), they did move the kiddo down there. I worked at BMH about a total of 5 years altogether and Ms Brooks and I learned to love each other and we got along famously, even though I was obstinate about some things…she took it all in stride and I always felt like she just wanted to pat me on the head–even though she was a good 6 inches shorter than me–and tell me okay, Alice, just move along with you. I do remember her talking about her daughter Betsy who lived in California and she always sounded proud of you and your children. Anyway, she retired while I was still working at BMH and I was just incensed that the administration did not give her some kind of retirement party or something. Soooo…I took it upon myself to give her one on the floor I worked on at that time, which was the Restorative Care Unit on the 3rd floor. I got a cake, got a card and took it around to all the floors to get folks to sign it and got her a tote bag that said Genuine Antique Nurse…she got a kick out of that, LOL. I thought I had a picture of her holding that bag but I cannot put my hand on it right now. I would love to send it to you if I ever do find it. Anyway, she had my utmost love and respect…and I do NOT respect people just because they have a title…she earned it. She was by that time in her life pretty soft-spoken but she was NOT a pushover. She was feisty in a good way! I truly never heard anyone who worked in that hospital when I was there who didn’t have good things to say about her. Now, she might have been much different as a younger person because we do tend to mellow with age. This I know because I am now close to the age she was when I met her for the first time. She and Bob even cared enough to come to my second wedding…I know I had a picture of them there as well but, again, I cannot FIND things. She and Bob were such a great couple. I saw a picture once of them at some sort of military reunion ball–I think it was in New Orleans–and she and he were dressed to the nines and both cut such an elegant figure…I would have loved to see them dance together. And once I was at the gardening store on Ft. Polk and she happened to be there, too. She still wore her hair long and always had it up at work, but that day, she had a braid down her back and a floppy hat on…the epitome of an old hippy (and I mean that in a good way)…she was just be-bopping along and I don’t think she even saw me. At any rate, I moved on and away and more or less lost touch with her when they no longer had their BAT@BECI.NET email address. I always loved that she would sign her message T of BAT and Bob would sign his B of BAT. A lot of fond memories. Anyway, I am rambling. But when I heard she was in rehab and was in a pretty weakened state, I immediately asked that God or the Universe or whoever is in charge of that would not let her suffer at the hands of a medical community that might try to save her in the name of doing what they thought was best for her. I have followed along on the fringes since she left rehab, went to the nursing home in Leesville and then on down to where she was when she died. And from the things you have written, I do feel that even though she was undoubtedly thoroughly frustrated at not being able to be at home, that overall she was her spunky self and that she did not suffer unduly when her time came to fly away from this earth. You have my deepest condolences…I do understand that sometimes the mother/daughter relationship can be fraught, especially when we are younger, but I believe you have honored your mother very well in her later years. I will say thank you for that. I loved her and I know she loved me. I do feel that I let her down in later years by not staying in contact, but I am truly not a people person and have to limit my contact with the public.