Minneapolis spokesman., 1958-08-29
THIS N THAT
by hazel
underwood

VISITING TIE SICK
Most OF us feel we will be a
better person once we get out Of /
the hospital and feel better. We
promise ourselves we viii go to /
see and cheer our sick friends. We
mean 70 keep our promise, made 4
10 do that, but at first, we must
feel better before We start 70 look /
after others"
Then the hustle and hustle OF !
every day living keeps us 30 busy
we Just haven't the timsl
Don't forget 30 soon how very
happy you were when perfect
stranger stopped by and asked "
there was anything ahe could do
for you At the moment you want
ed drink Of water more than
any thing you could think Of She.
a stranger, reached and poured
glass of water for you. Such
little thing for her to do, but how
you did appreciate t.
There was plenty this stranger
might have been doing elsewhere
but she, too, had been in hospi-
tai TEN years earlier had made
and kept a promise 10 Cod that
II she should ever get well. she
would devote at least two hours
with the sick every week
She had been in hospital that
had been oyercrowded and short
of nurses and she had known what
lt was 10 long for a friendly hand
70 help you help yourself
She tried to smile with an un-
derstanding smile when you tried
10 thank her She knew your
courage waa low and she gave you
strength 10 fight aud get well,
Looking AZ her now Il was hard
20 believe she had been told she had
only three months to live, ten
years ago
To have such friends, we must
be- friendly And when you visit
the sick. please do not tell them
all of the latest gossip and in
Heavcns name do NOT TELL
them every ache nor pain you
have had since you last saw them
They have aches and pains. they
want 30 hear bright cheerful news
Let them tell you about their aches
and pains and don't tell them you
had worse aches and pains than
that and look at youl How do You
know your aches and pains are
worse Time win tell and you are
there 10 cheer not 70 criticize
Please do not shake hands with
"a very sick person Sometimes
your too hearty handshake win up-
set them for hours They uatur.
ally will offer 10 shake hands but
don't try 10 shake their hand. 1
Try to remember you arc visiting
q sick person
Your want 20 help them get (
better ~ do not tell them any un-
kind news YOU may have heard
about their children, their wives
or their husbandsl Sounds incred .
ihlc, doesn't It But that Is what .
happens FRIENDS go 10 the hos.
pitai and tell all sorts of things
60 patients The patients arc help
less 10 DO anything but listen or
ask them to leave,
Leave YOUR TROUBLES OUT. (
SIDE the door and whom You en-
ter sick persons room be cheer .
ful ALL, the time you are there. / +.
have seen patients cry and their
temperatures so up after their
relatives or friends visit them.
Lying in their beds they have
enough 70 worry about because
they viii think az their troubles
while there Also the vast ma.
iortty have money worries too SO
don't add 20 an already saddcned
heart he cheerful and the patient
win be cheerful for hours after
yDu leave
Nurses and doctors know as
soon as they enter room the kind
OF visitor their patient has had
one look at the patlrn, and that
look viii tell them II you have
helped or Il you should have stay /.
"a away
4 MORNING PRAYER
let me give something that win
takr