A loved one is ill. I've thought about the situation in countless ways, and each time I reach the same conclusion which is that her illness, in most ways, is out of my hands. There is little I can do. Why is this true?
The loved one's diagnosis and medical needs are complex and far beyond my skill set or knowledge level. She has a host of competing medical needs that create a complex care situation. Plus, all the medical precautions that go with the pandemic make it difficult for me to see my loved one or participate in her care. As you might imagine, this is a frustrating situation.
The good news is that my loved one is in a best possible care situation, and we have to trust the good professionals in that situation to do their best for our loved one. We can also stay in steady contact by video which provides some comfort for us and our loved one. And we can send cards and other small gifts to brighten her day and experience during this challenging time. Further, we can reach out to the medical team to ask their advice about what more we can do to support our loved one.
This situation, in some ways, reminds me of the trust parents would put in me as their children's teacher each day. Each day they would send their children off to school with the trust that I would do everything I could for their children. Honestly, as an educator, I was fully invested in the role as a trusted service provider, and I did do everything that I could to serve those children daily--I found great satisfaction, meaning, and promise in that role, and I trust that the medical professionals caring form my loved one will do the same.
As a culture, there's lots of potential to better care for one another. It's time to review and rebuild our systems of care in ways that truly uplift lives. The potential is there, and we have to find ways to meet that potential. The whole world will be better for it.