Her name was Josie. 20 years on and I still remember. I think I even remember her last name…McClennen. Yep I believe it was. Maybe, well definitely it is a breech of patient confidentiality for me to say her name, but it has been 20 years.
Pretty much right out of high school I went to work in a state run mental hospital. I worked with chronically ill adult patients. Some of them were very dangerous and had even killed people, but instead of getting sentenced to prison they got deemed criminally insane and given a life long sentence to the psych ward.
Anyway, not all the patients were dangerous. Josie was not dangerous, yet she was never coherent. She was a large black lady in her 50s. I have always found large black ladies to have that special mothering energy and a special way of telling it like it is. There have been many times in my life where I wished I knew someone like that to confide in and seek advise from.
The main thing I remember about Josie is she would say, “Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!” She always said it twice and she said it with a specific rhythm. I always liked the way she said it. It was nice. So recently I have been using Josie’s special rhythm and have changed the words to suit me. I believe mantras are very helpful and shape our thoughts so I have begun to say, “God has blessed me! God has blessed me!” I say it out loud when I am walking down the street. I say it in my home and one day I will say it in front of others as I clasp my hands together as Josie did.
Thank you Josie where ever you are dear one!
This is not Josie, but the lovely lady does embody the energies that I so admire.