Three Lessons

I learned three lessons this week.

First lesson...

Our bodies are beautiful. They are uniquely ours. They are constantly changing. My massage therapist helped remind me of this. She has a healers touch and I not only walk out of a massage feeling fantastic and relaxed, but I leave with an awareness of the great gift that God gave me...my body. It is beautiful. Tere has helped me see this no matter the "size" I am. Plus, I've started a new fitness challenge this year and can see changes in my arms and abs. It is cool to see the changes I am making!

Second lesson...

Forgiveness brings peace. It brings peace when you forgive, and when you ask for forgiveness. I experienced both this week. President Thomas S. Monson, prophet of God for these days, once said the following in a talk titled "Charity Never Faileth":

"Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to becoming offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are."

Third lesson...

Everyone deserves kindness and compassion. I had two experiences with patients this week where I choose compassion.

First was a 93 year old lady with dementia. She wanted to keep using her cane instead of using a rolling walker, even though she was terribly unsafe with the cane. Her daughter showed no patience for her and seemed to only provoke her. The lady was hard of hearing and couldn't remember what exercise we had just finished. I remember looking in her eyes and thinking- patience and compassion Tamara! It was a long hour and I felt like I was yelling half the time just to be heard, and demonstrating exercises over and over again, but this lady needed compassion and patience, and I could give it to her. On Friday we found out this lady had passed away suddenly. I am so glad I go to see the light in her eyes that last time I treated her. Even people with dementia, or perhaps especially people with dementia need compassion and kindness.

My second patient came in with a lot of pain, a lot of frustration, and she was basically fed up with therapy and her body. She got angry over a mis-communication in her chart and was ready to storm out after 5 minutes into her treatment. I thought- oh no, I am not letting a patient walk out of here angry on my watch! We had a heated discussion with the supervising therapist, figured out the mis-communication, and then she and I both cried. She cried over frustration and pain, I cried over the adrenaline rush of the confrontation. We both calmed down, and then tackled the problem she was having. Her pain was down and her spirits were up when she left. Even angry patients deserve compassion and kindness.


And now it is time to start a new week. New lessons, new experiences, here I come!