St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1958-08-29
THIS N That
by hazel
underwood

VISITING THE ShCh
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 TO keep our promise, made
to do that, but at first, we must
feel better before we start to Took
after others"
Then the hustle and hustle OF
fevery day living keeps US so busy
we just haven't the time!
Don't forget so soon how very
happy you were when a perfect
stranger stopped by and asked If
there was anything she could do
for you. At the moment you want
ed a drink of water more than
any thing you could think Of. She,
stranger, reached and poured
glass of water for you. Such
little thing for her to do, but how
you did appreciate 1t.
There was plenty this stranger
might have been doing elsewhere
but she, too, had been in a hospi-
tai TEN years earlier had made
and kept a promise to God that
If she should ever get well, she
would devote at least two hours
with the sick every week.
She had been in a hospital that
had been overcrowded and short
Of nurses and she had known what
! it was to long for a friendly hand
to help you help yourself.
She tried to smile with an I'M
Outstanding smile when you tried
TO thank her. She knew your
courage was low and she gave you
strength to fight and get well.
Looking at her now, it was hard
to 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
heavens name do NOT TELL
them every ache nor pain you
have had since you last saw them.
They have aches and pains, they
want to 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 you! How do you
know your aches and pains are
worse! Time win tell and you are
there to cheer, not to criticize.
Please do not shake hands with
very sick person. Sometimes
your too hearty handshake viii up
set them for hours. They natur-
ally viii offer to shake hands but
don't try to shake their hand.
Try to remember you are visiting
a sick person.
Your want to help them get
better so do not tell them any I'M
kind news you may have heard
about their children, their wives
or their husbands! Sounds incred-
ible, doesn't 1t But that is what
happens, FRIENDS so to the hos
pitl and tell all sorts of things
to patients. The patients are help
less to do anything but listen or
ask them to leave.
Leave YOUR TROUBLES OUT
SIDE the door and when you en-
ter sick persons room be cheer
full ALL the time you are there. ]
have seen patients cry and their
temperatures go up after their
relatives or friends visit them.
Lying in their beds they have
enough to worry about because
they viii think OF their troubles
while there. Also the vast ma
/ iority have money worries too so
don't add 10 an already saddened
heart. Be cheerful and the patient
win be cheerful for hours after
you leave.
Nurses and doctors know as
soon as they enter a room the kind
Of visitor their patient has had.
One look at the patient and that
look will tell them IL you have
helped or II you should have stay
ed away
A MORNING PRAYER
Let me give something that win
take
A little sadness from the worlds
vast store,
And may I be 30 favored rs TO
make
OF joys too scanty sum a little
more.
Let me not hurt, by any selfish
deed
Or thoughtIess word, the heart
OF foe or friend:
Nor would pass, unseelng,
worthy need.
or sin by silence where I should
defend
However meager be my worldly
wealth.
I-nt me- DO snnhnlhlnE that win