It's All How You Look At It

 

It’s a phrase we hear often enough and one I have thought about over the last month as I have returned to work. For many years, I worked as an oncology nurse here in town and then took several years off after our fourth child was born. When school started this year, I returned to my old position and am again caring for oncology patients and their families. I can’t tell you how many times I am asked, “Isn’t that a hard place to work?” or “Do you like caring for patients that are so sick?” This is when I pause and then begin to explain that there is another way to look at it. Obviously, it is a joyous place to be when a patient becomes another success story, but it seems more often than not, the outcome results in a patient dying and a family losing a loved one. Yes, this is very sad, but I have learned to focus on the positive side of these situations. Families and patients require so much support when going through cancer treatment and all of the physical and mental anxieties that go along with it. It is extremely rewarding to know that you have helped ease some of these burdens simply by being there and providing guidance and care.

 

I think that we, as the family of Christ the King Church, can apply this thought process to many other aspects of our daily lives. For example, instead of viewing volunteering at a church or school function as just “something else I have to do,” focus on the positives. Once you are at the event, it usually ends up being fun because you get to visit with friends from school or church that you might not otherwise be spending time with and on top of that, there is the rewarding feeling you get afterwards knowing you have given your time to something so worthy. Another example might be simply attending Mass on Sunday. It’s easy to say things like “This is my weekend, I deserve to sleep in” or to plan a “more fun” activity. Again though, once you make the effort and get there, I think both taking part in the worship service and the way certain parts of the Mass stay with you that day and even throughout the week that follows are much more rewarding. So, I invite all of my fellow parishioners at Christ the King to “take another look” and join us at Mass and come share your time and talent!