There are moments in life that change you forever. For me, one of those moments came after my stroke—when I woke up in the hospital, tubes finally removed from my throat, and all I wanted was a sip of water.
Not a bottle. Not a glass. Just a sip.
My throat was so dry it felt unbearable. I remember laying there, not sleepy, just still. I whispered to God, “I’m thirsty. Please, just a sip. If I can get that, I’ll have hope to live.” And then I said something I couldn’t believe even as the words left my mouth: “If I don’t get a sip of water, I don’t want to wake up in the morning.”
I meant it. In that moment, it was real.
When the night nurse came in, I knew she’d say no. But I asked anyway. “Please, just a sip.” She looked at me with sympathy but said she couldn’t. I begged her. I needed that sip like it was life itself. She left. Came back. I asked again. Still no.
But then—God moved.
She left again, and when she returned, she had a small cup of water with a straw. She looked around, then gently placed it at my lips. Just before she snatched it away, I got two sips. Two glorious, life-giving sips.
I believe with all my heart that God told her it was okay.
That night, I slept. And when I woke up, my family was there. The doctors gave me more water, but I wanted gallons. My voice was low and whispery, not my own, and no one could understand me. I motioned for a pen and paper, knowing exactly what I wanted to say. But when I wrote it, the words didn’t match my thoughts. No one understood. I was so frustrated.
Can you imagine knowing what you want to write in that moment, but your thoughts won’t cooperate? Writing one thing, but it comes out another? That was me. I am a writer with almost 200,000 HITS. How was this happening to me?
The note above is one of the many notes I wrote when I needed to communicate. I think I was saying, I wanted to know when those tubes were going to be removed. (( laughing right now))
Later that day, because I was able to feed myself. A nurse came in with greens, macaroni and cheese (I hate cheese, lol), fried chicken, and a big cup of water and ice. I barely ate, but that water. That water was everything.
I know the night nurse broke the rules. But I’ve been there too.
Years ago, working as a cashier at Walmart on 12 Mile and Gratiot, a young mother came through my line. She was short on money for pampers and milk. I watched her negotiate with herself—what could wait until tomorrow? It broke my heart. I’ve been there before. I reached into my pocket, gave her the money, and told her to keep the change. I didn’t want it to look suspicious on camera. She cried. I didn’t care if it was against the store policy. I didn’t care how she got into that situation. I didn’t care who was supposed to help her. That didn’t matter to me. All I knew is that she needed help. And I sure didn’t care if I got fired.
Sometimes, when God says it’s okay, you just do it.
Inside the mind of cree 