Last week, I accompanied one of my sisters to an appointment at a regional cancer hospital. She has an ongoing battle with melanoma that she’s been fighting for the last two years and has learned that it will be an ongoing battle. Needless to say, she did not take this too well, which was why we were there. This hospital had an interesting affect. There was a calmness, quiet care and compassion that prevailed, punctuated by people generating lots of fear, anxiety, and pain. There were a number of people who were very drawn in on themselves. While there for my sister, I encountered a number of other patients who were dealing with similar issues, and I met one who was dying. None of my encounters really stood out for me while we were there; although, I admired the courage and serenity of the dying man I encountered there. He and I had a lengthy, generally positive conversation about family, children, teaching and learning.
What really surprised me was just how much was taken out of me energywise as a result. I was mentally, emotionally and physically drained. It’s been a very, very long time since I felt that way. I guess I wasn’t paying attention to the drain I must have been experiencing at the hospital. It took a couple of nights of decent sleep and a concentrated effort on my part to conserve my energy to myself. It was only after spending a good number of hours gardening on Saturday that I felt myself recover. Talk about a wake up call to mind my practice and training better. The next time, I need to better prepare myself before I go back there with my sister. I am a major support for her, so it’s a matter of time before I go back there with her. I help her better understand what the doctors and specialists are telling her, thereby making everybody’s job easier and my sister less fearful and anxious where I can.
Talk about a pointed reminder to be mindful.