The Art of Showing Appreciation

This year of service has taught me many more lessons than I have time to share in one journal entry.  However, the impact one patient made will stay with me long after this experience ends in July.  In the midst of a regular day when I was just going through the motions, the journey I would start to help a man and his family would become a lesson I would never forget.  Helping this man and his family gain access to care would remind me that my patients appreciate my time more than they may say.  His actions also made me realize that I need to express gratitude in my everyday experiences as a way to honor this man and pay it forward.

I met this patient back in March 2015.  He and his family were just hanging on after losing their jobs and moving to Pittsburgh; in addition they were in desperate need of medical care.  Once we were in my office I was not prepared for the man sitting across from me to break down as he admitted this was the first time he had to ask for help of such magnitude.  He explained when he lived in Egypt he was an OB/GYN, but he was forced to quit practicing because he was not allowed to treat female patients.  Some of his patients were no longer recognizable because women were required to conceal themselves from head to toe.  As the Egyptian government experienced turmoil he felt his family was at risk of execution because of their own religious beliefs.  As for my part in this story, a simple click of the mouse was all it took to submit an application for medical assistance and bring the appointment to a close.

I remember this patient because of his story and the conversation we had about practicing medicine during the application process, but I continued to go about my service days focusing on increasing access to care for more patients.  Later on, I received the announcement from the County Assistance Office that the entire family had been approved for medical coverage through Medical Assistance.  I was happy and relieved to see that approval letter.  I filed the announcement and closed their case with a giant green check mark.

Skip ahead to June 2015:  The man from Egypt showed up at my clinic with a large piece of paper wrapped in a protective sleeve.  As he stood there explaining to me that the painting on papyrus paper was of an Egyptian queen attending to one of her citizens, a flood of emotions came over me.  He did not need to bring such a gift to me.  I submit applications every day and did not do anything special to get his application approved.  However as I reflected on this man, his story, and my service, peace came over me.  I came to recognize that his gratefulness was an indication that I am right where I am supposed to be: in AmeriCorps helping my community.

I will take the painting with me as a reminder that appreciation can be mutual.  As AmeriCorps members we face challenges working on the front lines. I think it is easy to forget the big picture; we are making a difference in the lives of our clients, no matter how big or small.  Going forward, I am trying to do my part and be more aware of sharing my appreciation and gratitude.  Sometimes I simply need to thank the bus driver as I exit the bus.  I think my patient understood showing gratitude is beyond the picture itself, and while he won’t observe the impact his gift of appreciation has made on me, I will always have that picture as a reminder to practice appreciation-a lesson shared from one doctor to a future doctor.