The Little Moments

I have been at TLC for six weeks now and I can honestly say that I have loved my experience thus far. I will admit there have been days that sleeping past 6:30 am sounded a whole lot better than work. However, after at least one cup of coffee and breakfast, my outlook on the day always seems much brighter than when I was still pressing the snooze button on my alarm. I have never claimed to be a good morning person, God did not bless me with a perky attitude for the wee hours of the morning (this includes any time before 8 am). My mom once bought me something that had a cartoon of a grumpy looking person and the saying "I think I'm allergic to mornings." So, you get the picture....it is not a pretty sight. However, walking into work and knowing that I get to work with the patients that day instantly brings a smile to my face. The patients are the reason I love my job.

I believe that God places passions and desires in our hearts to fuel us for the plans we are to accomplish in our lifetime. I have known from a very young age that I had several very strong passions in life, helping people with disabilities being one of them. It wasn’t until a few years before starting college that I figured out I could actually apply that passion to my career. Thank goodness because after five years of working for my dad as a secretary showed me I was not meant for desk work. This internship has just increased my confidence that I am meant to work with people and not just filing cabinets and copy machines.

I suppose the reason I love people with disabilities so much is because they live a life filled with struggles. Whether it is physical, cognitive, emotional, or all of the above, each day is another battle to overcome. They must work harder and try harder at a lot of things most people take for granted. If you want to see a true definition of determination, watch a patient trying to learn to walk again after their accident. If you want to see an amazing example of perseverance, find someone that struggles to put their socks on by themselves because they suffer from weakness on one side of their body. They don’t give up trying to do it independently, even after failing 1,001 times. The people I get to work with everyday should be celebrated for their accomplishments. Think of one of the most difficult things you have ever done in your lifetime, now imagine doing that each day. When I started my internship I was hoping to make a difference in the patients’ lives, I didn’t realize the impact they would have on my own life.

The patients have shown me true acceptance. I know that even when I have a mountain range taking up residence on my face, they will still call me beautiful. The days when I can’t seem to do anything right, they will still appreciate my effort. Even in those embarrassing moments of tripping over my own feet, they will still help me up without judgment. I have also learned from working with brain injury patients to cherish the little moments the most.

Moments like when a patient remembers my name solely from memory without any hints or guesses.

Moments like when a patient gets excited and happy to see me, when normally they show almost no emotion.

Moments like when you can see the patient progressing and becoming more independent.

Moments like when a patient walks across the pool all on their own.

Moments like when the family thanks you with tears in their eyes for changing their loved one’s life.

The little moments are the ones that keep me going when I’m stressed out or when I think I’m not making a difference. Those little feats are reminders to not give up hope.