My heart pumps rhythmically, as does yours, and aches when sadness strikes. I am stressed and discouraged when I feel I have no control over an illness that invades my body. Is this not true for you as you lay in your bed at night, feeling that “your best was not good enough” to help your patient? We enter this world and we will leave it someday; our mortality confronts us. Our bodies and minds are but temporary gifts to be used wisely. Healer, peel away the protective layers to expose the humanity within you, freeing the compassion and understanding that lie within. Compassion secures the bond between healer and patient. As your patient, I will be thankful for the care and concern you have given me. Judge not the actions of others, for we do not know the burdens laid upon them. We shed tears at loss; we rejoice at triumph. Accepting your weaknesses helps me to accept the weaknesses that lie within me. Healer, heal thyself so that you may heal me. We must recognize the frailties of life and the strengths that we hold deep within us, for they rescue us when we face life’s trials. Do not be afraid to allow the world to see that you do not have all the answers to all of life’s questions; instead, be honest with yourself and treat yourself kindly. To be human is to accept the possibility of error. Do not doubt yourself or your abilities; you have learned well, trust in yourself and stand tall and strong. When facing life’s hardships, I sometimes feel alone, but in reality, I am not. I reach out my hand and there is someone there to grab hold and give me strength. Reach out to those around you for words of consolation, of wisdom. You, too, are not alone. My body, my spirit, needs rest to rejuvenate, to replenish. Give the gift of time to yourself and to those you hold close. Forsake not the relationships that help set you back on course when life buffets you about. Healer, you are not so different from me on the journey of life. Live life with kindness, strength, determination, tolerance, and understanding. You and I will make this journey but once. Let us do it with respect and acceptance of each other. Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient advocate. Source
