When I decided to study nursing in the late 80’s, my Grandmother; who had been a nurse herself during the war years; gave me her old nursing text book, thinking that I might get some use from it.
As a nursing text it was an amusing way to learn all the things not to do, but for a peek into the past, it was priceless.
It is inscribed inside the cover with her name, the date – 1932, & the hospital at which she did her Nursing training.
While leafing through the pages this afternoon I discovered this little gem, that I have never previously come across….
A new chapter – Bacteriology – begins. Words on the page like bacterium, microbe, pathogen, stagnant pools[???]....
But also; pressed lovingly between the pages; the remnants of a daisy flower & leaf, & a hand written note pertaining to “paroxysmal tachycardia”, & numerous other notations in the various margins, scribbled in pencil, obscure references to other strange states of health.
Only my grandmother would know the truth of this page….. only she knows what made her secrete a once beautiful bloom there, amongst the stagnant & diseased.
I feel like I’ve stumbled upon some bizarre time capsule….....
not so bizarre really…. just a touching reminder of someone once & still greatly loved.
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