Bright ideas, on the hook

Do you know what happens when you get a group of nurses together?

They come up with bright ideas.

Ideas about all sorts of things.

Things that need to be fixed.

And how to fix them.

Things that need to be retired.

And how to replace them.

Things that cheer other up.

And how to do them.

There is something relaxing and freeing when you get a group of nurses together and allow them time to talk while they are waiting for the speaker who is running late.

It’s like talking to my mom.

But multiplied by 20 other nurses.

Today I shared the crochet group I belong to with a group of nurses.

The Random Act of Crochet Kindness that is on Facebook. This is a British group that advocates creating little makes. This is gaining steam in part of the US. I’m doing my little part.

By makes I mean little crochet dolls, or octopi, or hearts, or butterflies, or whatever the crochet artist is feeling like making in the moment. I think that this has to potential to be a big morale booster.

The makes are then bagged up with a little poem saying they are not lost, but if it makes you smile to take it home.

And that’s it.

My grandmother taught me to crochet. I know all the stitches. I just can’t read a pattern. But I can follow along with someone on YouTube. As long as I can rewind. To that end I am doing a free crochet class at the library. Hopefully someone has some tips on how to read a pattern.

I’m just not sure what I want my first makes to be. I know that I will be dropping them off at the hospital. Because everyone in the place, staff, patient, doctors, need a reason to smile. Because the staffing crunch is real. As is the bed crunch. As is the supply crunch.

And it is exhausting.