Daisy Strong!

Photo by Susiebloom

During my interview with my brother-in-law, Dr. Rob Poston, a cardiothoracic surgeon, he talked about the "daisy award", which is given to exceptional nurses. Nurses who go above and beyond for their patients and families, who show incredible kindness and compassion, and who thrive under extremely tough conditions day after day. They are courageous and strong, tireless in their efforts, and never give up, even when things look bleak. Rob spoke very highly of his nurses and how they are an invaluable, vital part of his team. I thought the reason they call it the daisy award was for the obvious (to me, anyway) metaphor that daisies are not only the "friendliest" flower, but the strongest. They seem to be able to thrive anywhere they are planted and help others do the same. They always find a way to reach upward and bloom.

However, I did some research and discovered that "DAISY" is an acronym that was chosen by the daisyfoundation.org which stands for "Diseases Attacking the Immune System", and named for the patient (Patrick Barnes) that the award honors who died from an autoimmune disease, who was deeply moved by the care his nurses gave him during his serious illness. What an honor it would be to be nominated for the DAISY award. I, for one, am incredibly grateful for the nurses who have been by my side in my moments of need over the years.

When Rob shared this with me an idea for a picture took seed that I finally sketched and painted.

Though I'm not a nurse, I want to be like one. I want to be daisy strong!

What do you think, Friends? Let's be courageous and push up through life's boulders that try to block our progress and defeat us. Let's keep rising and reaching upward and grow despite the obstacles in our way. I know it's hard, but we can do it. We're in this together.