We carry them in our thoughts and in our prayers. It is the unspoken in the medical field. The hesitation you feel, to show at times, you hurt for them, with them, through them. The patient unaware that emotion is viable and present when treating, caring, or guiding steps to an end, no matter what that may be. Their physical bodies are present at the appointments, but their souls are searching elsewhere for meaning. The “why” of illness. They long for answers, contemplating if the cancer was a punishment, a time reserved before they were born to put them in a state of mind, detached from the functions of daily life. Some may even say, it appears that self-purpose is put on pause. Is there ever a moment where we can see the silver lining? With hesitation, we smile and stay positive regardless of circumstance.

© *Girl in the Green Dress* by Miki Simic. Acrylic. *Spring 2025 Intima*

“Love Compounded” (Spring 2017 Intima), a poem by writer Mary Oak, reminds me of the moment I met a fragile ninety-four-pound fighter, battling her third year with breast cancer. The child size blood pressure cuff barely able to stay around her upper arm. Still, she smiled and attempted to poke fun at her baggy pants and winter boots claiming comfort was everything when the days were long. I recall her saying, “I never used to dress like this”, an effort made to switch the attention from her arms. I smiled and pointed to my white nursing scrubs speckled with the morning brew, “I’m not supposed to have these coffee stains.”

There was an immovable amount of sadness that had engulfed her life. The doctors were approaching their plateau in treatment. The pain scale was a six, even though I could see she felt more like nine. Again, the brave, courageous soul, too strong to give into circumstance.

The painting of the “Girl in the Green Dress” was inspired by the indestructible soul I was so fortunate to have met. Green, not only symbolic of the floral hats she would wear to her chemo treatments, but of the vitality and health she so longed to have. Perhaps she is holding hope in her pocket as she turns to look ahead towards an unsure future.

Miki Simic is a first-generation American, college graduate and outdoor enthusiast residing in Ohio. Although she works as a nurse during the day, her passions include writing, painting, photography and sewing. She enjoys spending free time observing the elements, finding inspiration in the patterns that nature provides and allowing it to guide projects. Founder of the blog “The Mint Needle,” an artsy escape from the medical field, she created a colorful world where some of her accomplishments can be noted. Simic's work has been published by Moonstone Arts Center, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Tiny Seeds Literary Journal, In Parentheses, Poets Choice and the Great Lakes Review.