Embracing Joy: An Interview with Nurse Lynne

Nurse Lynne has not only served our community as a nurse, but also as a singer, gifting us with her angelic voice in numerous chapels. She has also taken on the role of a teacher during CPR training and medical knowledge classes during January Term. Above all, she has been Chatham Hall’s anchor, tirelessly ensuring our physical and emotional well-being while supporting our happiness and growth. 

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Nurse Lynne to ask her questions about key moments in her life and discuss the advice she has for all of us here at Chatham Hall. 

Look for the positive in life. You find whatever you're looking for in life. If you look for the bad—that's what you'll find. Look for what you have in common with other people-–not the differences. Joy is a choice you make every day. Choose it! One day you'll look back on your years at Chatham Hall and you'll appreciate it. It's important because life is not always about the destination, but more about the journey!

Get enough rest, drink water, and eat from all of the food groups every day. Your body functions better when you treat it right. Just doing those few things will keep your body functioning better than anything else you can do.  And the fourth would be regular exercise. All of these are quite simple habits that are best to start now. Everything should be in moderation. That's the key to keeping healthy.

I always loved taking care of people and always wanted to be a nurse. I didn't have the opportunity to go to school until I was 30 years old. I had just had my third child and my husband at the time lost his job. I had quit work to have the baby and had planned to stay home for a bit. Once he lost his job, we were both unemployed. He found a job quickly but wasn't making much. Due to our circumstances, I found I was able to attend college on a grant. I went to school to get my certificate in practical nursing then and returned to school at the age of 50 to get my associate's degree and my RN license. If you are interested in nursing–go for it! But go all the way while you're young and unattached. If I had it all to do over again, I'd be a nurse practitioner now. Whatever you choose to do, do it all the way!

I came to Chatham Hall when my children were young, and the schedule fit my kids' schedules perfectly. I fell in love with Chatham Hall and loved watching the students come in as freshmen, young and insecure, and watching them grow and change over the next 4 years and leave as beautiful, confident women. I loved the community and cared for the students just like I did my own kids. 

I can't really say what made me decide to leave. One factor was that I'm 56 years old and won't be hirable for many more years. As you get closer to retirement age, companies are hesitant to invest time in training you because they feel you'll retire and leave them. So far, I am still in training for my new job but yes, I am enjoying the change of pace quite a bit. I do miss all of my girls though!! Chatham Hall was my home for so long that it seems odd to not be driving up that driveway every day. 

The greatest challenge has always been being limited in being able to fix people's medical issues. I hate to see people suffering and when you can't fix it, they continue to suffer. I had to find the space in my head to realize that nobody can fix everything. What I do makes people's lives better. I had to figure out a way to just find joy in helping others, even when I couldn't fix it all. When you find something in your life that you can't fix or make perfect, do the best you can and find a way to make that enough. Live up to your own expectations and don't try to live up to other people's expectations for your life. YOU are the one who has to do the job, live the life, and deal with your own consequences. Your choices equal your consequences. 

Years ago, I had a patient that I did a lot of teaching with. Neither he nor his wife had much education, and when he found himself dealing with multiple health issues, he and she both were clueless as to how to make changes in their lives to care for his needs. I spent many hours teaching them what to do—how to shop, how to take his medications, and why his care was so important to his condition. I never really thought of the difference it made in their lives. It was just what I did. Years later after he died his wife approached me to let me know that they appreciated the time I spent with them and she felt I gave her years with her husband that she would have never had if I hadn't spent that time teaching them how to care for him. What was just another day at work for me had a huge impact on their lives. That is my goal in nursing—to make a difference. I don't need the accolades. I just need to know that at the end of the day, I have done something to make someone else's life better. When previous students reach out to let me know that something I did improved their lives in any way it just warms my heart. That's all I need—to leave everything just a little better than it was when I found it.

Snickers is the little old lady of our crew. She is a 10-year-old Puginese (Pug x Pekingese mix). She was my very first indoor dog. She came to live with us when she was just 5 weeks old. She was so tiny! Her head was her biggest part, and when she would eat, her head was so heavy her back legs came off the floor. She's SO cute!! Zero is a one-year-old Pug. He has more energy than 3 dogs need and is very bright—even though he often comes across as quite dumb. We drove to Illinois to purchase him from a Mennonite family. Miracle is a Maltipoo that we drove to Indiana to pick up on January 1st of this year. She is my little shadow pup and is becoming a very smart little girl. She picks her toys up every night and puts them in her bed before going to her crate for the night. 

My very first visit to Chatham Hall was when I was in the 3rd grade. A group of students from my 3rd-grade class came to sing for the girls. I was not chosen to sing but was allowed to come along for the visit. I loved the campus and the Well from first sight. I never dreamed that years later I would work there as a nurse. Even though I have lived in Chatham my entire life, I never knew anything about Chatham Hall until I came to work there. It's truly Chatham's best-kept secret. 

I hope to be doing the very same thing as I am right now in 10 years. Married to a wonderful man, working as a nurse, loving on my grandkids. In 20 years, I hope to be retired and enjoy life. In 30 years, If I am still living, I hope to be living in the same space and still healthy enough to enjoy life. If not, I hope to be singing in Heaven!

Thank you for the opportunity to get to know each of you. I wish the very best for every one of you. know that you will all find beautiful journeys in life and enjoy every minute! There is always something good, you just have to look for it. Find it!

 

This concludes our interview with Nurse Lynne. Thank you for everything you’ve done for our community, and we wish you all the best on your journey!