Learning by example

I spent the past seven days with a friend in Carolina Pines Regional Hosptial and later in the Rehab Center at Morell, and I came face to face with a side of doctoring I rarely consider.

Any who know me can attest that I don't commonly have much nice to say about the country's health care system.  Today I'm embarrassed by my narrowness.  From where I sat this week, my neighbors looked for all the world like a band of disciples making straight the way of the Lord.    One person after another, dozens of them -- visitors, nurses, nurses aids, doctors -- brought authentic empathy and service to friends and strangers.  Some worked with humor, others with stories. Some used physical strength and some brought expertise. They used natural and painstakingly acquired gifts to relieve suffering, restore hope and hurry healing.   It was an honor to observe.

Commencement 2012

Bill Schmidt, a friend whom I've known for a decade, did more for us today than visit Coker College.  He smiled and taught and warmly encouraged us to thoughtfully persist.  And, I am thoroughly grateful.

That he is a ranking editor at the world's finest newspaper backed his encouragment with a personal confidence that pursuing excellence is not only good and possible, it matters.  A couple of excerpts from his remarks that I hope to hold dearly for a long, long time are these: 

"The old rules that framed our expectations have been shaken, forcing a re-evaluation of our place and relevance... 

"So it is in times like these that you need people -- serious institutions, real journalists -- who can bear witness and add context and differentiate what is real from what is not, and -- importantly -- to tell our stories -- and the stories of others -- with real understanding and empathy. ..."