Reflection 75 (being understood)

Being understood

Life is a lot about being understood.
If we feel sad and someone says, don't feel sad, they do not help us
If we feel sad and someone says, Wow that must be hard on you, we feel understood
When somebody convincingly understands us, we feel a bit of relief.

Today I went to do my on call round for the many babies in my ward
We have two wards. When I entered the second ward, there were quite a number parents there and as a habit I smiled at each of them. One man did not smile back, his look stern.

When we came to his baby the mother was quite depressed and they wanted to take the baby home even though the baby was not ready for that at all. I took the parents for a sit-down counselling session. I tried to really understand them and then express the understanding to them. Mother's first pregnancy, full of positive anticipation, and then the baby born as Down syndrome. not gaining weight, feeding problems, spending most of the first month in hospital. On top of that financial difficulties and more. How could I ever have expected them to smile back at me. We were talking for long. I do not know whether I have said and done the right things but there was some signs of relief on their face. When we left we all had watery eyes, but in the process of sharing, I think that our Creator showered a bit of peace on each of us.