“We become merciful, she wrote, when we are the concerned reader of a novel, understanding each person’s life as a complex narrative of human effort in a world full of obstacles.”
This is a quote from Martha Nussbaum, a contemporary philosopher. It sums up how I feel when I get to know a patient and start to understand what challenges they are facing. It allows me to empathize with the shame they may feel in not being able to fully participate in life because of poor health, the disappointment they may feel in themselves, and the hope that lies beneath all of these feelings. I am not a judge or juror, but a partner in this complex narrative of your life and your health. Don’t be lulled into complacency by what passes for health care these days. What I offer is far above the status quo, and like nothing you’ve ever experienced. Your story is unique and central to your journey with me.
Like Colette Werden said,
“It’s OK if you fall down and lose your spark.
Just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire.”
