I have worked for 8 years in health care. I have worked in palliative/end of life care, community health, assisted living care and long term care facilities, on a suicide crisis intervention/prevention support line and closely in mental health for the past five years. This path I chose lead me to moments I didn’t think really possible, until it was right in front of me. Working in health care you see some of the most raw natural moments that could ever occur, the body giving its hardest fight, the body giving up, the body healing, the body adjusting. You see various changes that are simply apart of life’s natural process but often cause lots of emotional and physical pain, and on a positive note, lots of healing!
I have seen the mind break during a psychotic episode completely gone and detached from what we know as reality, turning inwards on oneself and everyone involved paranoid, terrified and violent. I have seen the horrendous effects of drugs and addiction on the spirit and brain, the lasting impacts of fetal alcohol syndrome, many neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders and the damaging effects of accidents, PTSD and organic brain disorders. I have seen first hand the intensity in which cancer can consume the body and death coming with out any notice or warning.
Most importantly I have listened to many many stories of regret, what could have or should have been done differently while the person had time. While they were still healthy, while they were still walking…before they got sick….what they want to do after they get well.
People often share their deepest fears, secrets and pain with strangers, without having the fear of being judged…. this is a huge part of the job.
As hard as this may be to understand, of all the jobs I have had and places I have worked. The hospital , care homes, facilities, hospice and end of life care has offered the most learning, the most touching moments and the most understanding out of any job I have ever had. After every hard moment, there is healing. Laughter, and always a new day. There is lots of love in hospital and care facilities, people often become softer when they are sick, people become softer when they are grieving. Of course there are those who lash out, are angry and demanding but usually it is out of fear.
What is the point of all of this? What have I understood from it all? That the crisis will pass, that the moments are hard and people suffer but it is not always bad. I have also had the amazing opportunity to see the joy we get from the small things. A cup of tea, our favorite meal, a favorite song, walking, going outside and feeling the sun on your face. I have seen patient’s light up beaming with love when family comes to visit, they are able to shower independently or have a hot bath. I have seen the love between couples who have been married for 40 years, I get to hear stories of entire lives people have lived. I have gotten to witness people overcome addiction, and been fascinated countless times at the endless power of the brain and human spirit.
Yes, your body is temporary. All of this is temporary, that seems to be one of the biggest wars we wage with ourselves. The sheer inability to understand that this for all of us will come to an end. So appreciate every single moment, your body + mind / life you know could change on an instant.
The message is this. What goes up will come down, it is the law of the universe. You need to make all of your moments good and bad the best they can possibly be.
And please take pleasure in the small moments, they are the ones that matter most. Listen to your favorite song, tell your family and friends you love them and always know your toughest moments are going to pass.
Oleanders Wellness 