Transcript

When I think of my Philosophy of Healthcare I think of a Shel Silverstein’s poem “The Giving Tree”. The story is about a tree who loved a boy so much, she gave all of herself to fill his needs throughout his life. The part of the poem that I find the most significant in is the end. And after a long time the boy came back again. “I am sorry, Boy,” said the tree, “but I have nothing left to give you- my apples are gone.” “My teeth are too weak for apples,” said the boy. “My branches are gone,” said the tree. “You can not swing on them-“ “ I am too old to swing on branches,” said the boy. “ My trunk is gone, “ said the tree. “ you can not climb-“ “ I am too tired to climb” said the boy. “ I am sorry said the tree. “ I wish that I could give you something… but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump…I am sorry” “ I don’t need very much now,” said the boy. “just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.” “ Well, said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could “ well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest” and the boy did. And the tree was happy. We are the tree. We have chosen to go into a profession that requires we give ourselves completely to meet the needs of others. We like the tree have to do this gracefully and humbly, without expecting anything back except to still be needed. We will come to a time in our career when we will feel like the tree, and feel like there is nothing left to give. Hopefully we will remember that it is not about the cure, or fixing physical brokenness. It is more often than we think about just being the stump for the ones who need to rest. If we simply remember this, then like the tree, we will be happy.