Charity

I work in a hospital. This morning I was upstairs sitting at one of the nurse's stations waiting to take a patient down to surgery. As I sat there I was listening to the random conversations going on around me. I noticed a contrast in the nurse's attitudes toward doctors, patients, and their job in general. One of the nurses in particular was super kind to everyone around her. She would kindly answer the phone and respond quickly to other nurses. She was smiling and seemed happy to be at work and to serve. It was very pleasant to be around her. I had a short conversation with her while I was sitting there and she told me about her new little baby of 3 months. It made my day. There was another nurse at the nurse's station whose demeanor seemed lined with nails. She had bitterness in her voice. I think I heard her complain 10 times in the 15 minutes I was sitting there. When she answered the phone she acted impatient and "put out." She responded almost angrily to other nurses and even patients. She told a story of how she ignored and told off a doctor the other day and how good it felt to put him in his place.
This experience has inspired me to do a personal inventory. I've thought about the way that I treat people and the kinds of feelings I create when I interact with others. I think there are some things that I can do better. It's amazing how we can affect the lives of others around us. I'm sure the first nurse had no idea the impression she made on me this morning, just as I'm sure the second nurse had no idea how bitter and ugly she seemed today. I wish we could watch ourselves sometimes just to see how we look to others. I think we would act differently.