LESSONS IN THE GARDEN 8

 SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED SOME GREEN

In March of 2010, just a few weeks after the earthquake, I joined a group of health care professionals led by a well respected Trauma Surgeon whom I had worked with for over twenty years.  The group consisted of nurses, CRNA's, several lay people who just wanted to serve and a young family practice resident-different ages, experiences, educations, beliefs.  Common denominator:  the deep desire to DO something- a call that went beyond what any of us could put into words.
The Haitians had lost their homes, their health, their loved ones, their arms, legs, mental acuity, sanity...

What we thought was a "medical mission" to operate, recover, drill, repair, wash, medicate, and "fix" things became a spiritual mission to relate-to engage, to learn and to serve.  We wept, cleaned, medicated, prayed, sang operated, recovered, fed, clothed, and admired-what courage, dignity and faith these people lived.  And giving?  Really???  These patients received two meals a day-donated by a service group.  Without exception, each meal was received with gratitude.  And every time, whoever was in the room with them-their family or even the other patient's family-was invited to share the food.  And every time, this too, was received and accepted with gratitude.  I saw as many as four people eat from one plate of food-and all with a thankful heart.  I will never forget that-the humility, the thankfulness and the total lack of self pity.  THEY blessed US.

It's easy to think others are so blessed to have "us" (the church, the US, the wealthy...whatever) that we miss how others bless us with WHO, now WHAT they are. 

This little green (sort of) patch was our quiet place.  It was the place that gave us hope-little sprouts of life coming up between patches of dead grass and forgotten trash.  Trees that had survived what the poorly built homes could not. 

And best of all-our new Haitian friends could be heard singing from here-through the open corridors of the hospital, from their seats around the  "garden' and as they wondered around the grounds finding their inner strength they sang.  They sang when they grieved.  They sang when they received good news.  They sang to comfort each other.  And their voices blended and spoke to us, though we could not understand the words.  Our heart heard.