When my parents first met, Mom was a young pretty nurse. Her desire for health and wholeness, however, transcended the physical. When her five children got a little older she went back to school and earned degrees and certifications to become a licensed psychologist. She worked several years at the North Texas State Hospital.
Mom’s typical work day was never typical. She worked with patients who were charged with a felony to determine if they were competent to stand trial. She never feared these folks and was quite keen in her interactions with them.
Certainly many patients at the State Hospital were there for reasons other than a criminal arrest, and such was the case for a lady I’ll call Margaret. We never knew the true identity of anyone Mom worked with as she fully respected their right to privacy. One morning Margaret stopped by Mom’s office to “visit.” Margaret had a lot of thoughts in her head. She just had trouble expressing them. Her conversation came out in a string of unrelated words…. “hamburger, shoe, flower, towel..” and so on. Mom described this as “word salad.” After a while, Mom thanked her for stopping by and said, “I have to get to work but please come and see me again.”
Margaret did come and see her again, every day for several weeks. Each day, Mom would listen patiently even though she couldn’t understand, and she’d thank Margaret for coming and invited her to come again.
One day the visits stopped and Mom didn’t see Margaret again until the day she was ready to leave the State Hospital. Margaret was much stronger. She walked into Mom’s office but this time instead of world salad, she said with genuine gratitude, “I want to thank you. You were the only one here who listened to me.”
God used Margaret, in her brokenness, to be a teacher. She taught Mom, and all of us, of the power in listening. Likewise, I believe that Mom was led by the Holy Spirit to be fully present. That, is a winning combination.
Noel's Notes 
My mom also worked at the State Hospital and retired after a lifetime of working with mental patients. I remember a story she told me about a man who would sit on his bed and “pick watermelons” she would sit with him daily and help him pick them. She had such compassion for them. She worked the male gereatric ward. It takes a very special person to do the jobs our moms did. Great story!!
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A very special person indeed! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you, Noel. Appreciate your telling us some personal aspects of Lucille’s life. We did quite a bit of visiting when the family lived on Lambeth Way. After the family moved the visits were fewer, usually only in church. She was a sweetheart.
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We had heard the story about Margaret also. Your Mom was a very patient person and listened with her heart and not just her mind. I think she had the biggest heart of anyone so know. We miss her so much.
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Lucille was a very smart lady that was able to “read” her patients at the State Hospital that helped her in her job. She was smart in all phases of her life. In our Bible Study class Deacon Bill would call on Lucille when there was a difficult passage to explain knowing that she would explain it where everyone would understand. She read a lot, told many stories and wrote many stories also. I was blessed to have her for 57 years and am still blessed with the great family that I now have! Papa Larry Dad
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That is just beautiful, Dad! Thank you for sharing!! Love you!
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The three years I was in college at MSU, I volunteered 20-30 hours a week at the State Hospital. I met so many people there who needed a kind, caring listener like your mother. I am sure Margaret was not the only one who was blessed by her during her years there. I had no idea your mother worked there, but I am happy to know that she was there for Margaret and so many others. Love you, Noel! Can’t wait for your next story!
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