Relying on each other
The following passage was written by Texas Children’s Chaplain Natalie Peters.
These hands are tired. This heart is tired. This soul is tired. But yet we keep on. I keep hearing the words unprecedented times over and over again. But I find myself wondering what unprecedented means and could also endure. Speaking for myself, I’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions. Today alone I’ve felt a huge range of emotions, including hope, hopelessness, happiness, anger, and the list goes on. To top it off, these lows are getting harder to crawl out of.
I imagine that what I’m experiencing is also being felt by several members of my fellow Texas Children’s family. The world around us is adapting to the “new normal,” yet we don’t exactly know what that is. Such uncertainty takes a toll on us but in different ways. Most of us, however, are all experiencing loss and grief at a much bigger capacity than we imagine.
In these times of extremes, we rely on each other. Prior to the pandemic, I sometimes felt like I was just scratching the surface with conversations I had with colleagues, patients and families. As the pandemic has unfolded and my routine has changed, I’ve learned to appreciate every interaction. What used to be just a wave in the hallway is now a fruitful conversation. As an introvert, I value my space but lately I find myself craving these interactions.
Finding hope gets easier at times and harder at others. Even when we smile, we can’t see the full effect. But we continue to strive on and do our jobs. We show up to work and support each other every day simply by showing up. We as a Texas Children’s family rely on each other and hold each other accountable. Mark Wallace’s Leadership Maxim NO. 8 reads “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where the puck is.” Currently, the world around us is changing and we have to adapt. As much as I say I’m flexible, I honestly am not. But I’m getting better at it. We better ourselves. We learn from past and current mistakes and better the future.
We as Texas Children’s #oneamazingteam have watched the world around us crumble and yet stand strong as we begin the process of rebuilding. We will rebuild with resilience, grace and grit of the past and with the hopes of the future. A future we know we built together by being on the frontlines during this pandemic. We support each other, through thick and thin. While ever living in the present, we look toward the future. The saying “the future is bright” has resonated so much for me personally these past two months. Because of all the darkness and uncertainty, the bright light that is coming will be everything we could hope for, and more!