Making Time to Care (day 8)

The dictionary offers several definitions for the word "care". One definition says, "a burdened state of mind, as that arising from heavy responsibilities; worry." and yet another, "to provide physical needs, help, or comfort." Although there is a huge difference between the textbook definitions of "giving care" and "caring" it is extremely difficult to call yourself a nurse and be able to separate the two. I had a conversation with my husband a few weeks ago about my future plans in nursing and the subject of "care" has now reminded me of it. I told Dean that after finishing some further training in nursing I wanted to work in Hospice care. I told him I felt the calling for it and thought it would really be rewarding. His reply was shocking to me but in the same sense, not surprising. He said, "Why would you want to work with people who are dying, that sounds so depressing." His statement was so....true. To many of us the thought of dying is sad and lonely and not something we strive to do. However, most of us are not full of tumors. Most of us aren't struggling to take a single breath. Most of us don't depend of healthcare professionals and around-the-clock care to survive. Those are the people who welcome death. They welcome the thought of no more hurt, no more disease, and no more suffering for themselves and their families. These are the people who we could only be so lucky to surround ourselves with. If you look at these people (not patients, people.) just right you'll see the hope they offer, you'll see just how precious life is and hopefully, you will treasure your life even more. Everyone deserves to be respected and comforted in their final days and being able to be an advocate for those individuals is such an empowering position. It's about caring; providing physical needs, help, and comfort. But it's also about the burden, the worry, and the stress. To truly touch a life as a nurse you have to be able to find a steady balance. I feel as if I have really entered into a profession that fits me. I feel lucky everyday that I am excited to go to work and happy to do my job. I show up to work and I get to hear stories from those who are much older than I am about their lives and their careers and their marriages and I know that life is too short to take any aspect of it for granted. The best part about "caring" is you don't have to schedule it into your day! I hope we can all make a little more time to care about others and shape a more thoughtful world for those to follow us.