I am a rural health care provider, and during the initial COVID-19 issues our small hospital began our preparations. Although one of our physicians probably didn't mean this in a positive way, he said to our small COVID Task Force: "Nobody here knows what they're doing." I immediately and proudly accepted that fact. We don't know what we're doing, but we are trying our best. As we continued meeting and making preparations, it seemed that our small task force was becoming fatigued. Some of the physicians appeared tired and sleepless, and many of the nurses were feeling distraught. So, during an amazingly lucid interval, I asked our task force if they would accept a moment of reflection at the end of our meetings. It would be a time for a pause, and also it would be a time for meditation and quiet....a brief moment where we could step back and live this moment together in a positive way. I tried combinations of funny and thought-provoking quotes and sayings.....
“There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes.” ― Abraham Lincoln
...amazingly it worked. As an emergency medicine physician, I can safely say that my form of meditation usually consisted of going to grab a diet soda after running a full code arrest for 45 minutes. Never, ever in my dreams would I think that I could help lead a crew of rural hospital employees into a brief moment of reflection and meditation at the end of our meetings.
I used some uplifting videos from positive and well-put together websites, such as Steve Hartman's series: Kindness 101 where he and his quarantined kids reflect on the meaning of life, the meaning of kindness, and the meaning of purpose. Other websites that became excellent, positive sources included The Dodo and Good News Network.
At one point, during this whole pandemic crisis phenomenon, I said to my CEO: "I'm not sure we can do this." "This," by the way meant: "A proud community hospital not owned by any large corporations getting through a pandemic and living to tell the tale." His retort to me: "Doctor. We have to."
“Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” ― Winston Churchill
So welcome to the Water's Boundary. We all need to find our place in this unusual time, and we will prevail through this hardship and we will all become better for it...if we choose to.
“We all like to congregate at boundary conditions. Where land meets water. Where earth meets air. Where bodies meet mind. Where space meets time. We like to be on one side, and look at the other.”
— Douglas Adams
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