Life is hard; sometimes it can become very overwhelming, and can lead one to a feeling of indifference towards others. We focus so much on our own “stuff”, that we can’t see past it, to recognize when others may be struggling as well. Even those closest to us may not know the many burdens that we carry, because we hide it well, and often suffer in silence. 

This past year in particular, was relentless with tremendous loss, isolation, fear, and anxiety. It was the “perfect storm” for those who usually seek relief from stress by socializing with friends and family. Many of us lost that. I lost that.

We lost hugs. I am a “hugger” and I really missed hugging my friends! We even lost our smiles; they had to be hidden by a facemask at all times to protect us from a deadly virus. But smiles are so important to connect with others! We had to rely on our eyes to communicate our feelings, and that is not always easy to do. And we made mad dashes to the grocery store, dripping in hand sanitizer, hoping that no one around us dare clear their throat with a cough. (God forbid)!

But this is where I start bragging about Nurses. It’s Nurse’s Week, and this year we all deserve a damn vacation! We went to work every day to take care of our patients, just like always, as if there wasn’t a global pandemic that kept many others home from work or school. Our “business” never closed its doors. 

According to Psychology Today (2021), altruism is helping others at some cost to ourselves. It is showing empathy, and purposefully acting in a selfless way to help others. Nurses are the definition of altruistic! During this pandemic, nurses gowned up Every. Single. Day. They wore restrictive and uncomfortable PPE for 13+ hours until their faces were bruised. They washed their hands and uniforms as if hoping they could be sterilized, so as not to pass the virus onto ourselves, or others. Nurses kicked ass this past year, but there was a high cost to be paid. Too many lost their lives in this battle, and on this week of celebrating nurses, please take a moment to remember them, and their families, in our prayers. They were brave and kind and altruistic… and they paid the ultimate sacrifice in this Covid war.

Please take care of yourselves this week, you deserve it! Thank you for your kindness, love, and friendship; thank you for being you!

Happy Nurse’s Week!

Reference:Psychology Today. (2021).  Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com