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SALT LAKE CITY —It seems lately that I have heard many people say things like, “Man, this world is going downhill,” or “People are just terrible nowadays,” or “What is our society coming to?” These, of course, were responses to the several tragedies that have happened in America over the past six months, namely, the Sandy Hook shootings and the Boston Marathon bombings.
While these were horrible events, done mainly by isolated individuals, I have always felt that saying such generalizations as the ones above were not fair to the majority of people out there who are good people, willing to help anyone in need and who only want the best for them and their families. Most people have good hearts and good intentions.
I have learned in my job that there are many good people who give of themselves in order to take care of their loved ones. I have been so impressed and touched by patients and their loving family members.
I have learned in my job that there are many good people who give of themselves in order to take care of their loved ones. I have been so impressed and touched by patients and their loving family members.
I took care of a man who was in his early 50s and was confined to a wheelchair because of the debilitating disease of multiple sclerosis. It had not only taken all of his physical ability, but he was unable to speak in full sentences and was not easily understood. The worse part about it was that his brain was not affected and he could fully understand his physical and verbal limitations. I thought about how incredibly sad and hard it would be to be in that state.
I was incredibly touched by his caring wife who attended to his every need without hesitation or frustration. I started to think about how difficult it must be for her on a daily, even hourly basis, to take care of his every need. I thought about myself and how I would react if my spouse was afflicted with something this severe.
This wife truly inspired me to be a better, more caring person and realize how many blessings I have in my life. I thought about all the times I complained about something minor, and I felt bad about that. I also realized that the love between a husband and wife goes way beyond the physical and can be deeply rooted in spiritual and emotional soil that can sustain someone’s life through thick and thin.
Another experience I had happened about two weeks before Christmas last year. I walked into work at 7 a.m. to see a huge box of toys and stuffed animals sitting in the main area of the emergency department. There was a card attached to the box. As I read the card I tried to hold back my tears.
The love, kindness, generosity and selflessness this mother had in her heart touched not only me, but many of my co-workers as well.
The card was written by a mother of a young (maybe around 3 years old, I can’t remember for sure) little boy who was a patient in our ER months before. The boy was brought in after a tragic accident that took his life way too early, and we were unable to save him. The card proceeded to say how grateful she was for our help and how much she missed her little boy.
She explained that the box of toys and stuffed animals were Christmas gifts that she would have bought her son for Christmas, but instead wanted to donate them to us so we could give them out to all the pediatric patients we would take care of over the weeks leading up to Christmas. This was one of the most touching acts of kindness I had ever seen. How difficult this must have been to do for this mother I can’t even imagine.
The love, kindness, generosity and selflessness this mother had in her heart touched not only me, but many of my co-workers as well. If that mother is reading this article right now, I want to say thank you and hope you know we were all deeply moved by your kindness and love and not a single one of those toys was left behind and you brought a small piece of happiness to the children and parents of those who received your thoughtful gifts.
