Sue’s Gift Blog
Two Candles
I'm watching two of my Yankee Candle jar candles burn, nearing the end of their lifespans. One, almost finished, has a clean and beautiful interior. The other has messy wax halfway up the side of the jar. I don't know why they are different, but I'm intrigued by each.
Changing Roles
Transitions can be complex. We become accustomed to roles we had, some for many years…partner, parent, employee, healthy person. But circumstances change: a relationship falls apart, children leave home, employment is terminated, and a healthy person suddenly becomes a patient.
Doing The Best You Can
had an experience recently where I was physically unable to keep up with those I was with. I’ve never been in that situation before. I was caught off guard and felt I’d let others down – maybe even to the point of being a burden. It didn’t feel good.
Being Good Enough
I’ve found it interesting that several patients over the years have shared with me that they worked hard to be” a good patient.” When asked what they meant by that, their responses ranged from, “I’m going to do everything the doctor says,” to “I won’t let them know I’m really frustrated by the long wait times to be seen or that the doctor is always in such a hurry.” Each of them felt they weren’t being “a good patient” if they appeared frustrated or irritated, questioned the medical staff, or asked for a more convenient appointment time, because they didn’t want to be labeled by the staff as “difficult.” It was very important to each of them to be seen as a good patient, maybe even “the perfect patient.”
Grass Or Weeds?
“Mother Nature hates a vacuum,” said Lillian, an 83-year-old breast cancer patient. “What do you mean?” I replied. “Think about it,” she said. “If you don’t plant grass, shrubs, trees, flowers, and other things that you want in your lawn, Mother Nature will fill it up with weeds.”
Perfect
When I was young, I tried to be perfect. I didn’t like making mistakes. A math or spelling test score of 98 wasn’t quite good enough; I wanted the perfect score: 100. And in mid-life, I still didn’t like making mistakes, forgetting something, or having a typo on a newsletter. I strove for perfection.
About The Author
Sherry Martin is the Patient Services Director for Sue's Gift, a licensed clinical social worker with over thirty-five years of experience in the field of oncology social work, and author of the book, Beginning Again: Tools for the Journey through Grief: A Step-by-Step Guide for Facilitators of a Grief Support Group. Sherry lives with her husband in Colorado Springs, Colorado.