One of the girls in my clinical group has opened my eyes to astrology. I find myself venting to her day after day because she has a similar life to mine…in fact, her daughter is only two weeks younger than Mason (I joke that maybe they will get married…only, that would entail that Mason IS going to get married but I’m sure he is just going to live at home forever). One day we realize that we both are “September babies” and she says maybe we are so much alike because we are both Virgos. And, she says, being a Virgo is tough work. So that got me thinking…and researching. I wanted to know all about Virgos and the more I read the more I realized that while the nursing program is tough by itself, being a VIRGO in the nursing program means we escalate that toughness to …let’s say…the 10th degree (and that’s putting it lightly). In fact, just being a Virgo is tough work. I’m exhausted from it. Really.
If you don’t know much about the Virgo, let me enlighten you: Virgos are perfectionists (and that’s to say the least). Virgos are worrywarts (and if they don’t get that under control the worry-warting turns into full blown anxiety). A Virgo is highly-discriminating (highly!) and analytic. They like to plan things out – no spontaneity here! We’re the kind of people who look into everything: for example, we read every review before we make a purchase (3 out of 5 stars? We’ll pass). We can never please ourselves - which means the exhaustion that we blame on everything else going on in our lives is probably partially caused by us …just being us. You see where this is going right? As one astrology site claims, we have “an eye for detail”. Generally, this would be a good thing. Unless you’re in a nursing program – where sometimes you have to let details slip (by saying this I am not implying that I have EVER let any details slip. I’m just saying that I should…maybe). But let me be honest in my true Virgo fashion – if I do anything less than perfect or less than acceptable to me, I will not sleep. And that’s not a metaphor: I truly will not sleep. Or I’ll have nightmares of that less-than-perfect job I did on my paper. I can never study enough, never prepare enough, never do good enough – you get the picture?
So this is where I am at – trying to be a mother to four children, a wife, and a student in a nursing program from hell when BAM! I realize I have to be a VIRGO mother, VIRGO wife and VIRGO nursing student. First off, let me mention that I am VERY grateful to have a mostly-Pisces husband. He’s a martyr sometimes and I’m so grateful for him. I know he gets tired of my Virgo-tendencies sometimes but he does a good job dealing with it for the most part. So now, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am going to to figure out how to “let go” of some things to make it through this program…but how do you “let go” of some of your Virgo? It is innate…it’s who I am. If you are waiting for some grand answers here, don’t read any further: I don’t have them for you. I haven’t quite figured out how to “let go” and not be so hard of myself (what does let go mean anyways? I think it means to settle – I’m not good at that). I guess realization is the first step in this process or maybe it’s the last step for me. I’m not sure realization is enough for change but at least I know what I’m dealing with here. It’s not a pretty picture.
But let me shed some light on some other things: the Virgo will not only be a great mother, wife and student because she’s striving so hard to be – she will also make sure the bills get paid on time, the house is clean (generally clean, not impeccably) and that everyone is taken care of. The Virgo mother will go out of her way to make things easier on everyone else – even when she’s stressed out. She’ll stretch her dollars, her time, her sanity. The Virgo will always help if she can: she gives and gives and expects nothing in return. The Virgo will call you two weeks after she received a card from you in the mail because she isn’t sure if she said thank you. The Virgo is neurotic – but she’s caring also.
Which means – in the long run - the Virgo’s patients will be WELL taken care of if not just because of her caring and thoughtfulness, because of her NEED to do everything to perfection. The Virgo will always be on top of her game. The Virgo will make sure her patient is comfortable and cared for. The Virgo will be an amazing nurse.
It’s just getting through school that’s the big Virgo problem here.
