Mother Theresa and selfless joy by Serayah

Mother Theresa and selfless joy by Serayah - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

“The miracle is not that we do this work but that we are happy to do it”

Standing at just under five feet tall, Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta made up for her small stature in humility and compassion. She cared for the poorest of the poor in the slums of India, braving many unthinkable hardships from squelching heat to parasitic infestations such as lice and scabies, yet nothing but encouraging and inspirational words were ever uttered from her lips. She lived and breathed the very heart of nursing in its purest form, which is why she would be the guest of honor at my dinner table for two.

In nursing school, I learned the fundamentals of what makes an extraordinary nurse in principal and ideal, but as I entered the profession, it became clear that these fall drastically short when practiced alone. Yes, the pharmacology and clinical skills are of the utmost importance, but the key factor that distinguishes nursing from a job and transforms it into a passion is the ability to give selflessly to your patients and being happy to do it.

Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta exemplified giving selflessly with joy to her very core, so much so that it was almost tangible as the world watched with admiration as she happily served the sick and dying in conditions that would make many of us cringe, including myself. It is not easy to do as she did, but if I was able to have even just a few moments with this remarkable woman, I would like to find out how she was able to give of herself in such trying circumstances and still maintain a joyfulness that was almost contagious to those around her.

Sometimes I find myself not able to maintain a genuine smile as I am nearing the 11-and-a-half-hour mark of my third twelve-hour shift in a row after realizing I still have two hours of tedious charting to finish before I can rest. Yet as I work in my first world, well-lit and air conditioned hospital and start to feel sorry for my aching feet I would love to able to remember her inspiring words of how to keep on giving of myself to my patients and be happy to do it.