THE FIRST sounds of life are screams and cries of joy. Oxygen fills little lungs for the first time. The lights above are bright. And the beeping machines from every corner of the room can be overwhelming. None of us remember, but I imagine it’s quite jarring to go from the warm womb of safety to the cold room with tile floors and gray curtains. The heroes hold close and wrap the screaming new life in a blanket, then place the happy but confused soul into the mother’s arms.
And generations later, back in the same building with the same tile floors and curtains, we walk the same halls again. The overhead buzzing is just as bright as ever. Just like the beginning of life — not always, but often — we’re back in that room. This time, surrounded by the next generation of heroes who took the same oath and covenant.
From the minute we open our eyes until they’re closed forever, we’re guided by angels wearing scrubs and stethoscopes. Healthcare providers know that their work is never over and never easy. Long days and sad tragedies are typical for our healthcare providers. What keeps them going is the love in their hearts. Not just for their family and friends but for the strangers they help every day. I know this because I’ve watched my mom, the best superhero nurse on the planet. (Sure, I’m biased.) People like my mom are good at what they do because they are love. They don’t do it for money. That’s just who they are. They have a warm embrace for their patients that can not be matched. Healthcare professionals in our hometown prove it to us every day — they show the “I’m-here-for-you-unconditionally” kind of love. The best way I can describe it is a mother holding her newborn baby. The same way Mom held me on May 9, almost 30 years ago.
We encounter healthcare providers at the beginning, the middle, and the end of our lives. And without them, this journey would be much shorter. We only get one journey with each other, and they help us make sure it counts.
This issue of Good News is for healthcare professionals. Thank you for fulfilling this covenant to the best of your ability and judgment. GN
