Mimi Lang
From Spiritual Autobiography
God speaks to each of us, as God makes us
Then walks with us silently out of the night
Rilke, The Book of Hours
I came to exist, to be me, on July 26, 1939. I had the good fortune to be born into a loving family. There were 5 siblings and 2 devoted parents. The big kids, my brother and me, and 3 the little kids. There were 8 years between us. We naturally ended up helping with the little ones but my parents were careful not to overwhelm us with too much sitting. I was often off to a summer Girl Scout camp for many weeks.
Camp Helena was not a fancy place. We had tents with sturdy wood floors, lots of hiking to meals and cookouts and swimming in the freshwater pond. There was singing all the time, and close friendships developed amid the cold showers and shared camaraderie while we planned skits and worked on badges. My childhood and adolescent summers were heady times before going off to nursing school at the age of 18.
You sent out beyond your recall,
Go to the limits of your longing
“Embody Me” (Rilke)
The Catholic Church had a significant influence on my life for many years. My parents were devoted Catholics. They attended daily Mass, often said the Rosary, and attended rituals like Forty Hours or other retreats. I attended Catholic school for 12 years, participating frequently in processions, singing for funeral Masses and being an active participant in the life of the Church.
The story of my childhood includes many relationships with nuns who were our teachers for almost all classes. Most of them did their best to control a room full of 40 students. Some were strict and others were forgiving and kind. I was very influenced by them, as were many of the other girls. We wondered if they really had breasts hidden under their habits. (Wash hanging outside the convent indicated they wore some type of bra but not the type we knew about.)
We often gave rides to the nuns to visit their Mother-Houses near Philadelphia. We learned they were not so different from us in many ways except they prayed often and considered themselves brides of Christ. Several of us were interested in exploring life as a sister. We visited novitiates where the nuns were trained, usually in association with a college. Two of my friends and I were designated by the pastor of the church to become nuns. The other two did become nuns, but somehow it was not the life for me.
In high school, my mentor was Sister Silverius, a Sister of Mercy. She was a good friend, often helping me avoid an outbreak of exuberance or acting foolish about one of the many crushes I had on various boys. None were reciprocated, but I did have a group of friends that compensated somewhat for the time spent standing on the edge of the dance floor or not being invited to any proms. Sister Silverius helped with my decision to attend nursing school at Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital, a hospital run by the Sisters of Mercy.
Nursing school was the right choice for me. There were so many things one could do as an RN. Three-year nursing schools were popular. BSN programs were just beginning at some colleges. One of the reasons for the popularity of the 3-year programs was that the doctors preferred nurses trained in the hospital. The feeling was that the BSN program didn’t allow enough time for students to be working in the hospitals.
After graduating, I worked as an RN at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia on a unit called Surgical Newborns. This special unit was for infants born with difficult to manage problems. Some had hydrocephalus or spina bifida or other body-changing maladies. They required detailed monitoring and care. It was not unusual for a few of these babies to die since they were so compromised. I had the opportunity to baptize several infants as we worked to save their frail lives. At that time, I believed in the spirit of Baptism, that it just might promote speedy entry into heaven or offer to heal the infant’s illness. Caring for sick infants was a time I always consider a spiritual guidepost. This is true for most nursing positions. There is no way one can separate a patient’s body, mind and spirit. Nurses offer the means to keep it all together.