REFLECTIONS : Judge Not
by TERESITA BACANI-OROPILLA , MD
We have been warned not to judge a book by its cover . Does this apply to other circumstances in life as well ?
Persons in assisted living facilities know that activities run like clockwork . Designated people give medications , prepare and serve meals , do housekeeping and laundry . They assist residents with personal care and try to follow the adage , “ Making this your home away from home .”
One morning where I live , I was pleasantly surprised that my bed was made , and the sun was shining through opened windows and blinds much earlier than usual . I complimented the aide , who said , “ I have so much to be thankful for . My teenage daughter is alive ! And so is the young man that had hit her car . Imagine us , two frantic mothers , summoned by the police , to find two demolished cars by the roadside . Our children who had driven these were there , too , but with no serious injuries !”
Incredible ! That is why she was early this morning ?! With a thankful heart ?!
We often take for granted and seldom realize that the people who serve us have independent lives of their own . Coming from local or often different backgrounds , they too have families to care for , protect , feed , house and educate . They worry about finances , the cost of baby care , the safety of their children , what the latter are being taught at school , and whether their college kids are responsible enough on their own or being taken advantage of .
Many service people are immigrants from dangerous war-torn or impoverished countries , hoping their lives will improve in this land of promise and plenty . Many work below their former positions and capabilities . If undocumented , they lie low in fear to be caught , to be torn apart once more from family they had painstakingly sacrificed to reassemble .
Occasionally , one sees promising youngsters in charitable or emergency facilities and wonders why they are mopping floors or cleaning up a homeless drug addict found incoherent by the wayside . They could be pre-medical students trying to earn spending money or to gain experience to put on their resumes . Many a non-U . S . medical graduate must try to find a person , a way , an experience that will get them into the U . S . medical system . And many successfully do so .
Some elderly workers with aching backs and slight limps , have fulfilled their missions yet continue to work . Their now successful children tell them to quit their strenuous jobs , yet they persist in order to be assured of financial independence after they complete their social security contributions !
Do we , who are being served , recognize such among our helpers ? Do we take them for granted ? Do we realize that like the grateful aide , there is much to be grateful for by those who serve and by those who are being served ? Do we acknowledge and thank them for the gifts they bestow with their sacrifices ?
Judge not by outward appearances . Beneath those color-coded uniforms live souls rich in love .
Can we match them ? Dr . Bacani-Oropilla is a retired pediatrician and psychiatrist .
May 2023 25