When I have a cold...

...I wear a mask so that I don't infect Jess. Her white blood count is normal, so she isn't in risk of getting some horrific mega-cold, but she is having chronic back pain and you can imagine what a sneeze or a cough could do to her. So I sport this smashing blue mask whenever I'm with her and whenever I'm preparing food, drink or medication for her. I really don't mind it; it's the first time I've worn a mask and not wanted to pass out from the heat. Yay for the state of Maine!

 

 

What I particularly enjoy about the mask is that I lose it if I take it off and put it down somewhere. So instead of taking it off, I just shove my mask up onto my forehead when I want to eat or talk on the phone or be normal. Inevitably, I forget that it is there until I walk past a mirror. And then I laugh at myself. Does anyone else think I look like I'm doing a bad unicorn impression?

Kez Furth, RN, FOF

You know what RN stands for - registered nurse - but FOF? There's nothing official about those letters, I just like the way they sound, so I've claimed them as my other title. You see, during the week, I am an RN, taking care of Jess, but I usually spend my weekends on adventures with this motley crew of teenagers from Chop Point. We go sailing and canoeing, we have bonfires, we go to school soccer games, we cook pizza for 100 people, we go sightseeing in Boston, and we play ultimate Frisbee at all times: in the boats, in the rain, during the day and late at night.

 

Being a teenager isn't easy. There is so much pressure to be "cool", which by the time you're 16 or 17 generally means dances, parties, and alcohol. I want our teens to have something better than that. I want them to see that you can be a rule-abiding God-fearing person and still have fun, more fun, in fact, than our beverage-dependent counterparts.

 

 

 

 

For some kids, it happens naturally. But for the shy ones, the ones who don't speak much English yet, or the ones who are struggling with anxiety or depression, it helps to have someone making sure that everyone is included. Even the kids who seem well adjusted sometimes need the confidence boost that comes from just being wanted. I know because I was that teen not very long ago. So I try to fill that need, bringing kids together and teaching them about their worth in my eyes and in God's eyes, all through the language of fun.

 

 

FOF stands for Facilitator of Fun. Lucky me. I get to be an RN and an FOF. It's a pretty good life.