Compassion.

[midnightsjane]

Of all the traits that make us human, I think one of the most important is compassion. To be able to reach out to someone in need, to be able to put oneself in another's shoes, to just be able to say I'm here if you need someone to talk to..all those things make us better people. Our lives are often so hectic and so filled with the noise of day to day affairs that sometimes we lose that ability to reach out to others, to say that one kind word, to connect. I see people walking down the street staring into their cell phones, barely noticing the world around them, and I wonder - do they feel connected to their world? or do they feel that they're operating in a bubble of some kind that separates them from others? When I feel distanced from other people, it's hard to feel compassion, or to care when someone I don't know is hurting. It's good to remind myself that reaching out can make a difference, and that perhaps sometime I may need someone to reach out to me.

I'm thinking about this because yesterday at work I remembered it. The woman I was looking after had a lot of physical problems, lots of issues with chronic pain, and in spite of all her medication the pain was never far away. The pain made her irritable and easily frustrated, and she seemed just so angry. After looking after her for two shifts part of me just wanted her to deal with her issues and stop being such a "difficult" patient. I'm glad to say that my better nature prevailed, and I remembered that nursing isn't just about the physical, it's about emotional and psychic health too. Towards the end of the day I came into the room to check on her, and she was lying on her side, weeping softly. Something in that scene touched me, and I pulled up a chair, sat down beside her and said "Do you want to talk? I have time, and I'm here." She grabbed my hand, and we talked for about half an hour. In the end, I think she felt like someone had seen her real pain, and shown compassion, and that in itself soothed the wounds a bit. We also made a plan to get her connected with our social worker, who could help her find councelling in the community, and to have our wonderful Pastoral Care service visit with her. I left that evening feeling a kind of warm glow inside, a feeling that I'd remembered that compassion isn't just a feeling, it's something that requires an action as well. I hope I helped her feel better, because it surely helped me feel like a better human. A lesson to take away with me.

Sometimes, it's just a little word that lights up someone's day. We should remember, and pass it on.