Looking back on my childhood it was easy to see that I should be in healthcare. I liked taking care of people and things. I would bandage my teddy bears and in one case did surgery to remove the music box inside. I can recall being in the car with my mother one day going to the grocery store. Cars ahead of us were slowing down but we couldn’t tell why. I peered over the dashboard to see better and realized it was a puppy in the road. It had been hit and couldn’t move. I begged my mom to pull over. There was no way I was leaving him in the street to die. I just thought it was cruel to leave him like that.
She pulled over-although I don’t know if she really wanted to. I stopped cars from going by, assessed the situation and tried to figure out how to pick him up gently. I didn’t want to make things worse. Amazingly, when people see you stop to help, they will stop also. Another car pulled over and offered me a towel to wrap him in for transport. I placed him in the towel, brought him to the side of the road so that at least if he were gonna die it wouldn’t be because someone else rolled their SUV over him.
It became clear to me that he wouldn’t make it, but I do recall him looking at me before he closed his eyes for the last time. It felt like a thank you to me. It was worth it.
Empathy is a profound identification with another’s suffering and a willingness to act. How you see people is how you respond to people. I believe we need more empathy in this world. We are all called to serve one another, and you can’t serve people without caring for them. Some people hear the word serve and are turned off. They think of slavery. Serving doesn’t make you a slave. In my career in healthcare, I’ve been called to be the glue to hold people together sometimes, providing a shoulder to cry on or comic relief as well. Covid was a proving ground for a lot of healthcare workers. Some paid the ultimate price too. But as Bernice Johnson Reagan says…”Lifes challenges are not supposed to paralyze you: they’re supposed to help you discover who you are” So, how do you show empathy? I learned this 3 step process and I’ll share it with you.
Stop- Stop whatever you are doing when you see a need. You may be the only one who does. What will happen if you don’t?
Stoop- Get on the level of the issue. Don’t be afraid to get down low to help someone. I”m sure there was a time when someone reached down or back for you too.
Secure help- Do what you are able to do but don’t be afraid to get the help needed. Ask others to serve with you. And above all else— finish the job!
Hopefully you can use these tools in your everyday life. The rewards of showing empathy are amazing. Give it a try. I’m sure there will be a grateful person or perhaps puppy on the other side of your generosity.
Just keeping it Cristaclear.