Shirley Belk
Bio
Mother, Nana, Sister, Cousin, & Aunt who recently retired. RN (Nursing Instructor) who loves to write stories to heal herself and reflect on all the silver linings she has been blessed with :)
Stories (344)
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Fifty Shades of Shirley
Every woman has a fifty shades story. But not everybody tells it. I've lived mine already and for that I'm grateful. And just like the Shirley Cocktail, my story is a little sassy, a little sweet, and a little intoxicating (well, at least to me, it is.) Marriage had put my story to rest, but being single again, I got my story out once more to just think back about its characters. (https://www.janinehuldie.com/fifty-shades-of-shirley-cocktail/)
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Humans
The Best Days of My Life
The best days of my life have been the years when my children were little. Most likely, every mother thinks the same thing. Although each day was long, hard, and tedious, those days were the most fulfilling for me. I smile, even now, just reminiscing. But to be completely honest, I, like most mothers, couldn't "see" the beauty in those moments until they were gone. In fact, I remember telling someone back then that my favorite color was "school bus yellow."
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Families
Go To Music
At my age (sixty-six,) my body needs some persuading. But, to be honest, it's always needed a nudge when it comes to housework and all the other mundane tasks I deplore. But those jobs must be done, right? So, I turn to music. Music takes me back to a time when my old limbs moved better and faster. The rhythm of some of my favorites trick these old bones into doing something besides clicking. With music, even long road trips make the odometer go by faster. Music is a strong motivator and a very positive coach for the not so inclined, like me. Can you relate?
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Beat
Aunts
Aunts...by definition, your mom or dad's sister, the wife of your uncle, or a particular person you give respect and affection to by dubbing her thus. They come in all shapes and sizes, attitudes and dispositions, but they are yours for a reason! I was lucky to have five special women I called "aunt."
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Families
Let the Feast Begin
The whole kingdom was bustling with excitement. There had been weeks of planning and preparation leading up to this coming night's event. A formal banquet, if you will, to welcome her, their newest member of the kingdom. There would be no stone left unturned. Everything she had imagined in her heart of hearts would come to fruition when the trumpets bellowed at the first guest's arrival. Even the scents of lavender and peaches were being breathed in all around her tonight. And she had butterflies around her, too...kissing her shoulders. The whole night was lit up with fireflies and a full moon. And even they were joyful. It was a Southern girl's dream.
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Humans
Name for a Sister, Color TVs, Family Secrets, & The Beatles
Picture my world if you will. It is 1964 and we are living in Houston, Texas. My sister was born that first week of January, one day before my mother's birthday. My sister was mostly bald, but the red fuzz on top of her head was foretelling. We would have a beautiful, little red-headed girl. My brother, closer to two years old than to three, now had to share my mother's lap. I, who had better things to do than to be in my mother's lap, would soon be returning to my 3rd grade class when Christmas break was over. For our family, it was a joyous time.
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Humans
An April Kind of Day
Her day had been a definite eight out of ten on the bad scale of long and taxing ones. To begin with, it started way too early; even earlier than her usual four am workday alarm. It had started with a phone call from the nursing home around three thirty from a familiar and panicked voice on the other end complaining that “the nurses aren’t giving me my medicines and they won’t give me any coffee.” As the seasoned nursing professor sat up in bed and listened to her mother, there was no being worked up in emotions, as she had run interference many times before. The difficult part was calming and appeasing her cherished, yet very stubborn parent. The staff would listen and follow any suggestions she would give them, not only because they knew her so well, but because she had been a clinical coach in college to many of them. Her mother would get a cup of coffee.Having put that small fire out, coffee didn’t sound like such a bad idea. Besides, her cat was insisting on being fed and the two dogs needed to go outside. She remembered she would need to dry her uniform to make sure it was fluffed out of any wrinkles. “Ah, another day,” she thought, as her morning routines began. By this time her mind had fast-forwarded to the plans she had for her students at the clinical facility where they were training.
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Families
