Leave Them Feeling Good
"He only speaks French and I can't understand a word of what he is saying! He started yelling at me. I'm not going back into that room! Does anyone speak French? Can someone please help me with this patient?!?!"
These were the words I heard back in 2013 as I stood in the hallway of a Med/Surg unit as a Nursing student during my clinical rotation.
It was a rainy Saturday. One of those rainy days where you'd rather stay curled up in your warm bed than get up to go into work. One of those mornings where I was exhausted from already working more than 40 hours that week, but had also committed to Nursing school every weekend so that I could make for change and shift gears in terms of my career. Another weekend morning where I kissed my two babies goodbye as they lay snuggled up in their cribs, and off I went to the hospital for clinicals.
I was tired, but I was excited to learn. I was grateful for the opportunity and happy to show up. I loved loving and caring for my patients. And so, when I heard these words clearly coming out of a state of frustration, I turned and offered to help.
Now, please understand, I had only taken French classes in high school and knew next to nothing. But, into the patients' room I went.
He was an older gentleman, thin and ill as he lay in his bed. His energy was low. I sat in the chair next to his bed, looked him in the eye, and smiled. Before I could open my mouth he said, "Parlez-vous francais?" And I looked right back at him and replied, "Sí."
Yep.... I said yes...IN SPANISH! Aye yay yay! I think my face turned as red as a tomato!
He looked at me with wide eyes and we both just started laughing so hard together. I grabbed his hand in mine and said, "No! No! I meant to say Oui!" And we laughed some more.
Needless to say, I pulled myself together and was able to communicate (and I mean barely) with this gentleman. Despite the language barrier, by the time I left the room, he was smiling. He was happier. He was calm. And I was happier too.
I share this story because I believe that we all simply want to feel seen and feel heard.
We want to know that someone is willing to take the time to listen. We want to know that someone cares. In the end, we may agree to disagree, or have difficulty communicating because we speak different languages, but that is OK. With a warm smile, warm energy, willingness to help, and sometimes simply by showing up, we all have the ability to leave others FEELING better.
How are you showing up in the world, in your community, in your personal and professional life? Who is someone in your life that makes you feel seen or heard?
