Good Morning and I hope this finds you all well. Like many I have been struggling this past week with all the pain in the world. Disease, Racism, Violence, Hatred are in front of us 24/7 and I found it difficult to find any images of Joy or Love. I have been reflecting on nursing and the impact we can have when caring for humanity.
I recall one of the Watson Caritas processes “being open to the expression of positive and negative feelings” and wonder how often I have allowed a person of color to truly express and share their experiences with me. Talking about racism, white fragility and white privilege is not an easy conversation to have. It requires a foundation of trust and a desire to develop a shared understanding which is often sorely lacking.
I found this quote from Dom Helder Camera- the Catholic Archbishop of Brazil from 1964-1988 during the time of military regime, and it spoke to me. Justice and Equity are often used to define each other so this quote also could read “Without Equity and love, peace will always be a great illusion”. Equity, however, does not mean equal and we do not all need the same things. We do not all come from the same place, have the same experiences or the same access to basic human needs like food, shelter, clean water, education or healthcare.
As nurses we are called to care for humanity in all its forms, sizes, shapes and colors. We are also the most trusted profession. Perhaps nurse are the ones who can enter into dialog, be open to the positive and the negative and help build a bridge toward equity. We have a long way to go in this sad broken world, and its hard to find signs of hope or joy so I look to my colleagues to inspire and guide me as I work to bring peace and love back to the world.
With love to you all
