Appreciate The Good Around You
I have written 3 blog posts now within the last couple of days, decided about midway through them that I didn’t want to finish them right now and I’d move on to something else. I keep a folder of drafts on my laptop so I can go back and write more later. I just really am conflicted about what I want to write about. I feel like I have a lot of good ideas but I am not sure how to communicate all the things I am feeling to make it relatable to people. I live a fairly boring life and I really do not have that many traumatic experiences that have happened to me. I feel definitely fortunate for that, but I feel like there are so many people who have had large, life-changing experiences happen, and they have to learn how to navigate through, and move forward from them. I want to write, in a sense that when someone reads the post, they can feel like they are not alone when they feel alone. I want to make people feel like I feel when I read something that really relates to how I am feeling deep inside and how it makes me more reflective on those thoughts and feelings. As I am writing this, I’ve began to start think about how grateful I am to live this fairly boring life. I do feel fortunate to have a roof over my head, a career, a family, heat during the cold, clean water to shower, fresh food to eat, and not having to struggle to get by in life. Well, I guess there is another idea to go with today.
As a child and a teenager, being “grateful” was not exactly my strong suit. I didn’t feel “entitled” per se, but I definitely did not feel the way I do now. I did not realize the entire value of working hard to earn the things you have will make you more appreciative. I paid my way through nursing school, worked hard to earn my degree, and struggled throughout the process. That struggle really helped build my character and made me feel like my degree was important because I really worked hard to earn it. I learned that it is not 100% my parent’s job to ensure that I went to college, because college is a privilege and not a right. Learning that a degree is something I was going to have to pay for made me work harder because I wanted to finish faster. I became more grateful for the things my parents did for me throughout the tough process of nursing school. It took me longer than some others to get my Bachelor’s degree but I have it now and honestly I do not regret the path I chose to do so.
We often take things for granted in life that we are not aware of. I did not ever really think about how I was given the ability to walk, talk, hear, see, smell, etc. When I started my first job at a nursing home in a small town close to the one I live in, I really started to see things very differently. It was almost like I put on a pair of new glasses and things were much clearer than they were before. These residents were so sweet, kind and caring. I grew relationships with the residents and their family members that I will never forget. My first job really taught me a lot about resilience, advocacy, and appreciation. I would hear a lot of times a resident being upset about something, and they’d say things like “at least you get to go home at the end of the day, we have to stay here.” I really thought about that very hard, and honestly they were right. I was able to go home, enjoy myself in the privacy of my home, with my dignity, and make my own choices and decisions. I could walk outside whenever I wanted. I could eat whatever food I wanted. I could drive a car whenever I wanted. We often forget about our own freedom to make our own choices in life and I think it is important to empathize for those who are living in a place away from their own home.
This experience of realizing how much I value and am grateful for my dignity and privacy, shaped me into a nurse who really values the patient’s safety first, but also their dignity and privacy. Caring for patients who do not have all of the same privileges as I do, has made me so grateful for things that I have often taken for granted. I think being grateful for even small things is very important. I am grateful that I have the ability to walk. I am grateful for my privacy, and my independence. I am grateful to come home to a good boyfriend who does not emotionally or physically abuse me. I truly sympathize for those people in abusive relationships and I pray that they find the strength needed to walk away and to know that they are worthy of so much more. I am grateful that I can get up every day, and live in a safe location. I am grateful that I have access to fresh food and water every day. I am grateful that I have two parents that are awesome and support me through it all. I am grateful that I have heat and air conditioning. I am grateful that I have the ability to walk, talk, hear, see, smell, feel, and taste. I am grateful for so much more, but the list would be too long to fit in this blog. I saw this quote online and I loved it because it is something I have really been striving to live by. “My socks may not match, but my feet are always warm.” -Maureen McCullough
I don’t want to make it seem like I don’t complain about things. There are days I forget my blessings, think it is the worst day ever, and go into this shell. When I think I want to be paid more for something, I always make sure to remember; at least I have a job. It is absolutely ok to complain about things that bother you. I always try to make sure to drill in my head that I am lucky and fortunate, even when I want to complain about something in particular.
As a nurse, I am a very empathetic person in general, and I can feel people’s emotions and sometimes it makes the job very emotionally exhausting, yet rewarding. Empathizing for those who do not have the same privileges as you, offering support and assistance, and being kind to everyone regardless of race, gender, and income amount, are not hard things to do. At the end of the day, we are all people. We all have valid feelings and emotions. It is not our job to judge others based on their lifestyle and it is not our job to validate their struggles in life. All struggles we experience build us into the people we are today. People will make mistakes, do things that are unforgivable, and even act out of character. This is not uncommon, this is not new. We are human. Moral of this short excerpt: be grateful for the things you have, the things you don’t have, and all of the in between. Be humble, do not act like you are better than others, because at the end of the day we are all the same. Do not waste time expecting more from others, instead provide more for yourself. Do not confuse the things that are a privileges and what are rights. Be kind to all people, regardless if you disagree with their political, social, or general views. We can make this small world a better place with kindness. So, with that said, always work hard and be nice to people. That’s all today. I hope you have a great rest of the week folks.
