REFLECTIONS
Reflections
IS THIS VANITY?
Teresita Bacani-Oropilla, MD
I
n a tiny country home in rural Kentucky,
we visited a lady whose smile lines radiat-
ed from her eyes. She sat comfortably in
her rocker amid her prized photos. Most
prominent was a collage of the faces of
her grand and great-grandchildren. Though
physically slow from age, she was still sharp
of mind. After a few amenities, she proceeded
with great pride to enumerate those in the picture and their accom-
plishments. Best of all, she appreciated these kin still coming to
visit her despite the busyness of their lives. This contented lady was
actually the repository of the strivings, triumphs, failures, courage,
redemptions, and love of her now scattered brood.
This is not unique; each and every one of us carries memories of
those who influenced our own lives and made us who we are. We,
in turn, leave our marks on those whose lives we touch. Encounters
may be intermittent or last for a lifetime. Some however may be so
brief and seemingly inconsequential, that we realize only later they
left a vital imprint on our lives. On the other hand, some meetings
are so profound, life changing or lifesaving, that we think often of
them later. This sort happens often among those in the medical
profession. We carry a great responsibility for the things we say or
do. These events we like to preserve in memory for ourselves and
others who come after us.
We like to be remembered preferably in a positive light and leave
smiles, wisdom, humor, or something worthwhile behind. On the
flip side, if we did not do so well, we did learn from our foibles and
mistakes so that others may profit from them.
In retrospect therefore, what are we doing now to leave a small
legacy of our own brief passage in this mortal world? What would
we like our grandmothers to brag on about us? Is this just vanity
on our part, or is this a desire to fulfill the purpose for which we
were born? Each of us must decide.
Dr. Bacani-Oropilla is a retired psychiatrist.
MAY 2019
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