Background Information

In 1995, when I first became an EMT, my mother gave me a cross with the Star of Life medallion in the middle of it.  You may have seen glimpses of it in a few videos.  The cross has left my neck exactly once since it was given to me.  I gave it to Pudding after September 11 as a sort of an engagement piece.  Untraditional, I know, but it saw me through that horrible day, and had been blessed by Cardinal O’Connor of the New York Archdiocese back when I was more involved with the church, so it stood to reason that all it was through and the fact that it was given to me by my mother that it had both tremendous sentimental and luck value.  Pudding wore it for about a year before taking it off, and when we split, I took it back.  Since then, it has not left my neck and has seen me through the aftermath of my failed marriage, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Hurricane Rita in Texas, and just everyday being me.

However I no longer have that cross.  DJ has it… it was placed around his neck for the wake and the closing… and it will be with him forever… hopefully protecting him as it had protected me.  At least in theory.

So last night I decided to spend a few hours at The Hills on my regular Friday night overnight tour.  For those of you who may not realize, The Hills is different from my day to day work because I basically set the pace of how much, or how little work I want to do.  Over the last few weeks, ever since I found myself on the other side of a deathbed, just the thought of setting foot back onto an ambulance was enough to make me nauseous… literally.  So I decided to do this in an attempt to work on my focus and take it slowly back.  Of course, it wasn’t just KC and I like usual, The Terrorist rode along as a third both for the company and acting as a sort of safety net… just in case.

So last night I got there and was a little early.  The Steff and The Donkey came by to drop some stuff off and to chit-chat.  The Terrorist followed shortly thereafter, and KC was a few minutes late.  Before we went out, they brought me into the office, and The Steff told me that if I remembered correctly that they still owed me a birthday gift, which I remember telling them I didn’t want anything but that’s really neither here nor there.  So, in true Steff fashion, she whips out this purple glittery bag that just oozed 70’s disco.  After ooohing and ahhhhing the bag, I took out its contents.

Wrapped in paw print tissue paper inside was a little blue box.  I opened the box, and inside was a gold cross with the Star of Life medallion in the middle of it.  Needless to say I was pretty speechless.  See, I know the piece was discontinued in gold by the manufacturer back in 1999.  This piece is custom made.  It was custom made for me by them.

Sure, it hasn’t guided me through the rubble of 220 stories, walked with me through the flooded city, or been touched by a man once considered the next possible Pope… but I have no doubt that the love that forged it will protect me the same just as the original is undoubtedly protecting DJ.