There are Many Ways to Show Compassion

As a physician, I see images of compassion on almost a daily basis. Perhaps the most poignant in recent memory is that of 2 sisters.

The older of the 2 sisters was confined in the hospital because of morbid obesity, diabetes and non-healing wound. She has been in the hospital for almost three months and yet the healing was slow. The younger of the 2 sisters came up to me crying because she has limited financial resources yet she cannot abandon her sister because she loves her. She has missed work because of the difficulty in caring for her sister. And it was indeed difficult. Because of the obesity, her sister was mostly in bed because of the inability to ambulate. To sit up or urinate, she had to be lifted by at least 2 people. The younger of the two sisters does all that and much more. Add to that the foul odor that emanated from the wound and the patient's irritability because of her condition. It was not at all easy. And yet the younger sister has to work in order to pay the bills. She reasoned that having lost both parents, they only have each other.

The patient has since improved and discharged but the memory of that cry for help remains in my mind and has made me rethink about my own relationships.

We shouldn't wait until something terrible happens before we show others how much we care. It may be in the simplest of things, preparing a meal, baby sitting, etc.

And showing compassion may be extended to people other than those we know. Examples include donating to the blood bank, signing an organ donation card, etc.

The time to act is NOW.

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This post is part of Spread the Love Now, a joint group writing project of Wade of The Middle Way, Kenton of Zen-Inspired Self Development, and Albert of Urban Monk.Net in cooperation with The Now Watch.

spread the love now, group writing project, compassion