The past year affected all of us in immeasurable ways. What began as a promise of recovery from the horrors of 2020 with the Covid-19 vaccine fizzled out, like a New Year’s Eve sparkler dying out. In January 2021, I was hopeful that I would be able to travel soon to see my family in the Philippines. It was not to be. The US is on its 5th Covid wave with Omicron threatening to infect one and all.
As I prepared for our church’s Year-end Thanksgiving for 2021, I cleared my mind in grateful reflection. I can proudly say that I am blessed. Last Dec. 25-26, the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) members celebrated our year-end Thanksgiving in person, instead of on Webex as we did last year.
INC Hymn #134
Oh my Father, I now deeply meditate
On the blessings, You give day by day
Truly You have never failed to care for me
And You provide my every need
It is my duty, Lord, to praise and worship You.
Ever worshipping your name faithfully;
It is my duty, Lord, to offer all to You
Oh, the very life You give to me.
Despite this year being still challenging in many other ways, there is still so much to be thankful for.
- The Gift of Life
- Family and friends
- Work
- My new book
For all these, I am thankful.
I am grateful to be an educator and a nurse leader.
When I left my previous job and started another journey, I was extremely gratified by the overwhelming support and love from my nursing staff, as well as all those who I have worked with. Their words are precious to me and have given me strength, inspiration, and determination. Their validation of my work meant to me more than I can ever express. I will forever hold them close to my heart.
I would like to share some of their thoughts:
“You have been an exemplary role model for me. Many times over the past year, I have felt overwhelmed and hapless. You were always available to listen to our complaints- even when you knew that there was nothing you could do. You displayed continuous optimism, even in the midst of what seemed like a never-ending nightmare during the COVID peak last year. You are the primary reason that I kept coming back to work and picking up extra shifts when I could. Thank you for that.
You will be the standard that I will compare others to in the future. I hope that wherever you go, you will continue to show others the light when it seems so dark.”
“Thank you for everything you have done for me and the department. You were with us every day fighting on the frontlines as we fought our first pandemic. Your encouragement and support helped me get out of bed in the morning to come to work. Although I was scared every day coming to work while pregnant, I always knew you were there to support me. For that, I will always be grateful.
You always encouraged us to be the best version of ourselves and to further our education. I always enjoyed your CEN questions in your weekly email, an email I looked forward to. I appreciated your transparency on department initiatives and staffing. I always knew you were fighting for us every day. You were an extraordinary leader and I hope one day I can strive to be a leader like you."
“I feel so lucky to have had you throughout the pandemic, We could not have done it without you.”
"Please know how grateful I am that we had you as our leader, especially this past year. I will never forget you."
New nurses: passing the torch
Today was the last day of class in 2021 for the new graduate nurses in the nursing residency program that I was consulting with. Knowing the challenges that they will be facing as they start their career as ER nurses, I shared with them how I survived the psychological land mines in a complicated but emotionally rewarding profession. In a way, I felt I was passing the torch and I felt compelled to encourage them as much as I could.
Gratitude journal. Finding my joy. Work-life balance. Self-care. Knowing that I made a difference. Sharing my love of nursing. Grateful meditation. All these fortified me and kept me standing through the years.
I asked the new nurses to reflect on what things they are grateful for. They recounted those special moments when patients thanked them for their compassionate care. Some even said that even if their patients forgot to thank them at times, they feel empowered to have made a difference in their patients' lives. It was an emotional exercise for all of us, and I tried to hold back my tears. I am proud of them.
They ALL expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to serve as a nurse, despite this Omicron threat and the short-staffing. Then they thanked all the other instructors and me for guiding them and preparing them for this career.
Hearing the words of praise from these new nurses was a gift I didn't know I needed to hear.
Here comes 2022. Happy New Year, everyone. Be safe. God bless.
