I had a crazy thought.
Each time I walked into a room to see a patient, I would ask them a question that would be more in line with this blog than with the usual “Where does it hurt?” and “What’s wrong with you?” taught in medical school.
Remember that the room” I was walking into was often a
virtual room (seeing a patient via Zoom) or an audio room for a telephone
visit. Occasionally a live human-to-human masked encounter.
Now, all crazy thoughts are best implemented with a
co-conspirator. In this case, I enlisted a wonderful medical student Rachel
Rose. For her, it was kind of a “wrong place at the wrong time” type of moment.
For me, it was all I needed to turn the crazy thought into action.
The question: “What is a positive that has come for you
and/or your family from the pandemic?”
Before any talk about labs, blood sugars or disease, Rachel
and I asked our patients this simple question.
Here is what they told us, un-edited. A reminder for all of
us, especially as the depths of the pandemic fade away, not to lose the
precious lessons this last year has offered us.
The responses:
I floss my teeth now. I actually have the time to floss.
Keeping in mind that 'this too shall pass'. This has been a test and a trial but I am a person of faith so I believe whatever is unhappy or uncomfortable, it is all going to be okay. We have been through something really big together. This can be an unifying event if we take it that way and look at that way.
I have more time to spent my nephews and great nephew. One of my nephews lives with me and he keeps me company. I have a lot of company.
Spending more time with my wife and helping her around the house. It was just me and her around the house. We have been married for years but I got to know her better and learn more about her. I learned more about what she needs and what she wants and she learned about me too. You could be married for 30 years but don't know much about one another until spending 24/7 together.
I get to spend much more time with my daughter than I did prior to the pandemic.
I have been able to invest time into something I love, building a garage gym. I have also had the time to show my grandparents I truly love and care about them. Delivering groceries is a lot different than simply saying hello over the phone.
I have realized that I don't have to be rushing around. We can relax as a family and things will still get done. This has been a really good change for me and for our family.
The pandemic has given me the opportunity to put more time into my home and garden.
I have
not let the pandemic slow me down. I still give to others. I pick up food boxes
from the food bank and give them out to my neighbors. I know some neighbors now
that I didn’t know before the pandemic.
Time was the biggest gift for me too, and getting to know friends and family better through weekly Zoom chats that we had never done before.
ReplyDeleteI see these responses and feel grateful, too. I so appreciate that I am healthy and can do most of my outdoor activities all throughout this time. I've enjoyed my home and patio more. Loads of time to reflect on how fortunate I am.
ReplyDeleteAll moving towards Love based activities and interactions. Now this is a miraculous thing.
ReplyDeleteWhenever we experience traumatic events or other things that we'd generally identify as "bad", it can prompt deep reflection in reordering our priorities, sometimes encouraging us to remove things that never should have made the list (e.g., certain material things that probably qualify as luxuries) while embracing other things (e.g., relationships) that have been given too little attention, time, and effort. I pray every day that I will experience the need for God amidst a relatively comfortable life, knowing that the chaos and crises that sometimes arise are the vehicles for that recognition. As has been suggested, a deeper love for one another and the Creation, along with the Creator, is often the result of recognizing that need. Blessings...
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