Critical care nurse an angel to her elderly patient

Who knew God had blonde highlights? Certainly, not me!

Looking for answers to today’s tragedies, injustices and people’s cruelty to each other, I repeatedly question, “Where are you, God? Do you care?” “Where is loving Abba described in the New Testament?” (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6, Mark 14:36)

Theologians and scholars far more intelligent than me offer various solutions to this complicated question. German liberation theologian Dorothee Soelle (1929-2003) wrote, “God has no other hands than ours.” (Soelle, Dorothee. “God on the Gallows.” The Way of Suffering. Martin, James (ED) Orbis, 2020)

With that logic, we should be able to physically touch God and God should be able to physically touch us. But how?

About three months ago, my 94-year-young momma, Julia Ann (Fitzpatrick) Kane, required medical intervention. She was diagnosed with the dreaded upper respiratory virus, especially targeting babies and elders.

Every adult child of an adored elderly parent knows the grief-stricken, gut-wrenching anguish of witnessing an injury or illness invade the beloved parent. Suddenly, we adult children are now standing helpless next to the sick parent’s bed.

At the time, I felt powerless, until the front doorbell rang. And that’s when I encountered God’s touch, through the compassionate and capable hands of critical care nurse Melina Baric. Her attention to detail, her skill and knowledge and her sense of humor contributed to momma’s full recovery.

Baric answered relentless questions from momma’s worried adult children, including me. She patiently described momma’s course of treatment to us and, at times, would call momma just to check in. It sounds cliché – ish, but Baric really did become a beloved member of our family.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize all health-care workers, especially at a time when you are understaffed and overworked. Your service to our community’s most vulnerable population, our senior citizens, is proof the good in this broken world far outweighs the bad. Your dedication gives the Kane family so much joy and unfailing hope.