An NPR segment profiled a doctor who is afflicted with MS. She is still able to consult and teach medical students, teaching them about compassion and the art of listening.
One of her mantras is:
Place your hand on the patient, not on the door knob.
She was referring to the habit of rushed doctors who hover at the door, with one hand on the doorknob. They are visibly impatient with the patient, and do not take the time to hear what the patient is saying or connect to the patient. The patient desperately wants to know that she is more than just a name on a chart, and ends up feeling frustrated and neglected.
I know I spend too much time wavering at the door, one foot on the threshold as I half-listen to my Loved One while I mentally run through my To Do list.
A prayer…
Give me patience Lord
To Take the time to Listen
To Touch
To Connect
Reaffirming that We All Matter in this World
We are Here with Them on This Journey — Don’t Let me do it with Half a Heart!
