Excerpt from Rita Miller's Book

"On behalf of the eastern region of Pennsylvania Association of Hospital Auxiliaries, I want to tell you what a delightful speaker you are, who, I am sure, can move mountains, because you sure moved each and every one of us. I came home with such an uplifted feeling of joy and peace -- thanks to you. Our best wishes to you."

--Joanne Campbell, Corresponding Secretary, PAHA

An excerpt from ...More True Blue Tales by Leo G. Frangipane, Jr., M.D. and Rita E. Miller, R.N., C.

Vivian, a longtime friend of mine produces crafts faster than I can display them in my home. One year she gave me a wicker basket filled with little red hearts she had sewn and stuffed with cotton. Since I was running out of space at home, I took them to my office and set them on the coffee table where they stayed for years. Many times during counseling sessions, people would reach for one of the hearts and hold it or absent-mindedly pass it from hand to hand while they talked. This seemed to have a calming effect.

One day, a young woman was talking about a plane trip she had to take that was terrifying her, yet she wanted to go very badly. We discussed her fears and various techniques to deal with them. She was a person who learned well and was visibly more relaxed by the end of the session.

On a whim, I picked up one of the small stuffed hearts. "Would you like to take this with you to remind you of today?" She was visibly moved by this small gesture. That little heart accompanied her on her long trip. She returned to report that she not only managed her fear, she actually enjoyed herself. Then she pulled the heart out of her purse and handed it to me. I said, "Why don't you keep it?" She said she'd rather return it in case somebody else needed it.

This woman inspired another way to offer and hold on to comfort. Because of her, those hearts have traveled (more than I have) to three continents and to places like divorce courts, hospitals, and colleges. Some people need them for a trip and some need them for the entire journey. The hearts are a comfort and an ally.

Another example, Bill, one of the first members of the S.E.E.K. support group and everybody's "good dad," told me about one of his greatest sources of comfort besides his supportive family.

This man's favorite spot in the whole world was the seashore. He had a cancer that affected the lining of his lungs and was often in pain. To get his mind off his pain, he would imagine the ocean view from the front porch of the place where he always vacationed. Recalling the image in his mind's eye was helpful, so he decided to take it one step further. He went back to that place and took a picture of the ocean and beach from his sitting-on-the-porch point of view.

He carried that picture in his wallet to look at several times each day. Thanks to Bill, I have a point-of-view photograph on my desk at work of my favorite place. It gives me great comfort and positive memories. I'm sad to day Bill's gone now, but his influence lives on.

-- Rita Miller

Order More True Blue Tales, by Rita E. Miller, R.N.,C., and Leo G. Frangipane, Jr., M.D.