Blue Journal Jan. 13 - Back to Work

Today I went back to work at St. Vincent Hospital (St John's to all of us old-timers).  It was my first day to work in 2014, since last week the entire world was snowed-in.  It is always good to get back to the information desk, since it is definitely front and center.  I get to see and talk with many people.
This is an old picture, but the only one I have of the Information Desk.  This was taken while my best buddy, Elaine, was still working.
I do miss Elaine, and so sorry that her health caused her to give up her volunteer job.  However, last night I talked with her on the phone and we caught up on all the news.  We have always talked by phone every Sunday night, even back in the days when we were working together on Mondays.  Only now we talk much longer because we have so much news to catch up.
Now I work with a young man named Billy.  Billy is my "runner".  He really enjoys escorting people to their various destinations, delivering flowers, and pushing folks in wheel chairs.  And that is precisely what we need at the desk.  It is a wonderful help to me.
Elaine and I always marveled that it didn't matter how many years one volunteered at that desk, every Monday we were asked a question that we had never been asked before.  And I have volunteered since 1995.
Well, Billy and I had a new question today.  A very pleasant young women came smiling up to our desk, and when I asked, "May I help you?"
She said, "Yes, I would like some Holy Water."
Neither Billy nor I are Catholic, and I could just feel him looking at me and wondering what I was going to say.
So I just smiled and said, "Of course, just a moment.  I've never been asked that before."
So I called the Center for Spiritual Care and relayed the request to Myra, the secretary there.
Myra paused and said, "Oooooookay......I will send one of our chaplains right down."
I had the nice lady sit down in the lobby and soon Sister Elizabeth came down to meet her.  They went into the chapel I breathed a sigh of relief.
 A little later the nice lady came back to thank us for our help.
"Were you able to get your Holy Water?"  I asked.
"Oh, yes Sister got some from an urn in the chapel and put it into a specimen bottle for me.
It will just add a little extra to any blessing, you know."
So then I said, " We are glad we could help.  So do you use this when you visit the ill and bless them?"
"Oh no,  you know,"  she said, "you can bless anything,   your dog, your socks......"
Like I said, we hear something new every Monday.