Life and Death

I heard a heartbreaking story last night. It came from a dear friend who’s a nurse. When asked about her work, she said it had been a hard week. For most of us that means missed deadlines, lost accounts, or difficult co-workers, but for her it was a matter of life and death. Of the many moments she described, it was the last story that stuck with me. A woman suffering from COVID-19 had reached the point of surrender. She wasn’t going to make it and asked my friend to help her facetime her family since they were not allowed to enter the hospital. Taking the woman in her arms, she lifted the phone and allowed the woman the chance to say goodbye before dying moments later.

As painful as it was to hear, I was struck by the contrast between the work a nurse usually does, and the work my friend ended up doing. As a nurse, she’s called to provide the care for patients so they can get better, but in this case there was nothing she could do. Well, that’s not exactly true. There was something she could do. She could take the patient in her arms and lift the phone. Usually she works to help people live. In this case, she helped someone die.

The story broke my heart. It also filled it at the same time.  

Extra Credit:

1.     In what way have you served another person and made their life better?

2.     Have you ever been unable to help or solve the problem?

3.     If so, were you able to offer your presence in the midst of the un-solvable problem?