Journal of Sacred Work

When a Doctor Kills A Patient

The Lightning Strike

October 7, 1977. Mary Kopek* checked into Toledo's Riverside Hospital** for a routine hysterectomy.

Easy to imagine the morning of October 8: Nurses awakening Mary at dawn, preparations for surgery, family smiling, "We'll see you soon."

Instead, "soon" Mary would die on the operating table.

Why? Did her anesthesiologist accidentally kill her?

1977. The Mafia-like "White Coat Code of Silence" meant doctors did not "squeal." Mary's husband and small children would never know.  

Caregivers understand the separate pathways for food and air. To confuse those during intubation can be fatal. Yet, Anesthesiologist Hector Gomez, M.D.* made exactly that mistake.

As the surgeon's scalpel hovered over Mary's belly, Dr. Gomez inserted the oxygen tube down her throat...into the esophagus. Air meant for her lungs now raced toward her stomach.

Seeing Mary's belly inflate, an OR nurse exclaimed, “Doctor, the tube is in the wrong hole!”

“Nonsense. I’m the doctor!” Gomez said arrogantly.

Belatedly, the surgeon noticed the nurse was right. “Pull the tube, Hector!” he ordered.

Lightning ignited crisis! Mary's children would grow up without her. 

Aftermath

Hours later CNO Marian Hamm walked into my office with a blunt account: “Erie, Dr. Gomez just killed a patient.”

Although thirty-three and just months as CEO, I knew leaders have no luxury for excuses.  

"I'll tell the Chief of Staff," I responded.

"The White Coat Code," she said with disgust. "He won't act."

Still, I insisted the Chief investigate. Weeks later, reported, “Dr. Gomez says: "Patient overweight. Short neck. Case closed."

"Really?" I challenged. "Is that it?"

"We'll keep an eye on him," he glared.

"Told you," Marian said later.

Incompetence and Arrogance killed Mary Kopek. The Chief's closing the case and my refusal to persist describes the culture of 1977.

After that, I learned to fight harder. Much harder.

If you are a veteran caregiver, you have seen bad mistakes and will see more. Would your stories help others in crises?

-Erie Chapman

Excepted from: After the Lightning –  Stories of Crisis Leadership 

*Pseudonyms 

**Since reopened as St. Ann’s

In Our Hearts

Let us join in community to offer our prayers for our caregivers, our dear neighbors without distinction and all who are impacted by these devastating fires, including the animals and all of creation.

God of compassion, you are our refuge and our strength, our sure rock in the midst of every difficulty, the light which pierces every darkness, and an anchor of hope for those who contend with despair. May those who have lost loved ones find solace, those injured find healing, and those displaced find shelter and support. Guide and bless the hands of those providing aid, and grant resilience to all communities as they navigate through this difficult time. We pray for a swift recovery and a renewed sense of hope, knowing that even in the darkest moments, there is still light to be found.

We ask your blessing on all our caregivers and families, especially those whose lives have been disrupted by the fires through displacement and evacuations. May their work be guided by grace and strength and may they feel your healing presence. Help us to respond with generosity in prayer, in assistance, in aid to the best of our abilities. Keep our hearts focused on the needs of those affected, even after the crisis is over.

God, You are in the still small voice,
The gentle whisper that follows
May our ears always hear
May our hearts always cry out for one another
May our hands always reach out to one another
And may we always walk like you walk
In solidarity with those who suffer
And so reflect your presence and comfort.

“We do not choose when tragedy occurs, nor where, nor what feelings are brought to the surface as we handle this challenge. In this heartbreak what we carry forth is our humanity in newly revealed form—our hearts tender and delicate. Within this complex, hard time, may your heart be cradled in the balance to strengthen in resolve, and hold fast to the seed of tenderness that allows for the experience of love. May you be comforted in being human, while knowing in its very essence being human is exceedingly hard. Know that you are not alone. Let us heal and balance together.
May you find solace here in the collective human experience and regeneration of affection.
May community hold, tend, and comfort you in love.”
Blessed be. Amen. (Vanessa Titang)

Note: These various Prayers are adapted from Xavier University Resources, Jesuits Resources, Catholic Relief Services, and Unitarian Universalist Church.

Shared Liz Sorensen Wessel
Drawing by ~liz

The Quarterback, the Comedian & Superbowl XIII*

 How do leaders find calm and caring in crisis? Legendary leaders are universal students even though Winston Churchill said, "I'm always ready to learn, although I don't always like being taught."

  Still, he always watched how others fielded crises. Churchill would never say, "I can't learn from a conductor because I'm not a musician." or, "I can't learn from sports. I hate sports." 

Joe & John

   A comical learning occurred at Superbowl XIII when iconic quarterback Joe Montana, using five words only heard by ten men, suddenly made famous comedian John Candy a team member!

   January 22, 1989. Cincinnatti Bengals versus San Francisco 49ers (a fellow Ohioan gave me tickets.)

   3:10 to go. Bengals up 16-13. 49ers have possession but on their own 8-yard line. 

   A 49er said later, "Unbearable tension...92 yards to pay dirt? Impossible...Then Joe entered the huddle." 

   Stop! What would you say? 

1.    "Stay calm."
2.    "Here's the play."
3.    "Don't panic."

   Instead, Joe pointed to the crowd. "Hey, isn't that John Candy?" 

   It worked. He knew his players were scared and how to settle them. With 39 seconds left, he fired the victory pass.

   Forever after, Montana was known as, "Joe Cool," underscored when Bengal's opponent Chris Collinsworth reported, "At the 45 yard line I saw Joe's eyes. I knew we were finished."

The eyes.

    Ten years later I re-learned the power of calm eyes. Baptist Hospital System's accountants delivered a fear-triggering shock shortly after I became CEO. I had been told the bottom line would be 10 million. The hidden truth was a $73 million loss! Bankruptcy was imminent.

   "Are you okay?" Chief Operating Officer Paul Moore asked me mid-crisis.

   "Yes. Why?"

    "Some employees told me, 'We saw Mr. Chapman walking through the cafeteria looking worried."

   Darn it! Other expressions besides panic can signal trouble.Leaders never have the luxury of showing fear or worry.

   The great news? A record-breaking turnaround. That story later.

-Erie Chapman

*This story will reappear in my forthcoming book currently titled, After the Lightning - Stories of Crisis Leadership

**Photo: Joe Montana and John Candy (Outkick)

A life Well Lived-A Tribute to June van den Noort

June van den Noort RN, a dear friend for over 40 years, dedicated her energies to the healing profession of hospice care. June was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and nurse who was always there to lend a helping hand and give support in times of vulnerability, grief and hardship and in times of joy, celebration and thanksgiving.

Erie’s reflection on Monday invited us to remember someone who has died and pay tribute to them. This reflection honors my friend June who passed from this earthly realm a few months ago. However, a sentence turned into this reflection and offers the slightest glimpse into the life of a woman who lived a full life, encompassing joys as well as sorrows. June overcame adversity with great courage and strength of character.

For those who knew her, June was an inspiration in word and deed. She had a heart for hospice care and in the early 80's, was educating clinicians in providing holistic end of life care, expert pain and symptom management, and the art of healing. She shared sacred moments through telling stories inclusive of some of life's most poignant, difficult, yet valued experiences in hospice.  June truly lived a nursing as a calling, mingling art and science.  Her empathetic presence was most prfound in times when the veil thinned between this world and the spiritual realm. She was gifted in cultivating sacred moments that linger beautiful remembrances.

June worked tirelessly and held fast to her New England values of hard work and a life of service. June was there for Stan and Stan for June. Stan would help with the hospice fundraisers like going to the swap meet early Saturday morning to set up the tent and sell items to raise money for the program and my husband and I volunteered to help support the cause.

Fast forward to the mid 90's, I called June out of the blue, to ask her to consider joining our organization to start up our hospice program. I will always be grateful to June for coming out of retirement in respond to this call. She worked night and day to help build the program, achieve accreditation and develop a team of highly skilled caregivers to respond to the needs of our community. The program has grown to serve thousands of families through the years.

I’ve heard it said that behind every great man there is a woman and this was true of June. The love of her life was her husband Stanley a renowned neurologist and a great humanitarian who devoted his life to helping thousands of patients who suffered from multiple sclerosis. His patients cherished him as their doctor as evidenced in abundant expressions of gratitude for his caring and expert care. Together June and Stan were an incredible force for good and made a difference in the world for so, so many people!  Not only in the lives of patients and families but also in the lives of dedicated caregivers who cared for patients.

I too was the recipient of an incredible act of kindness from the van den Noorts that I will never forget. The situation involved the birth of my son. I went through natural child birth and all was fine until a few hours later when I developed excruciating nerve pain whenever I moved. Preliminary testing did not show anything and I was discharged from the hospital after a few days. The pain continued without any diagnosis. After 6 weeks of intense suffering, June called and said, “Would you like Staley to come and check on you?  “I had never met the man and I mistakenly thought she said he was a urologist. A bit confused by that, I agreed, desperate to get some relief. Stan showed up at our home on a Saturday morning with peaches in hand and his little black medical bag. He was so kind and unassuming and immediately put me at ease. He examined me and quickly pinpointed the area and possible causes of the issue. He set me up with an ortho specialist and with additional testing they diagnosed a bone infection. I responded to treatment with antibiotics and I recovered over a three-month period, progressing from a walker, to a cane and then regained full mobility. I am forever grateful to June and Stan for their love, support and medical expertise.

When Stan experienced a major medical event and was in ICU, I would go in the evenings to provide June some respite as she faithfully kept vigil at his bedside. At the time, it was unclear as to Stans level of awareness. However, I would speak to him in what I hoped was in a comforting way and pray the rosary. One night, as I sat praying with him, he reached out and kissed my hand. It was such a tender moment and one I will never forget.

In closing, I am grateful to June for her enduring friendship throughout the years. I miss her and I cherish all the wonderful experiences we shared as well as the difficult times in which we there for each other.

Thank you for this opportunity to pay tribute to my beloved friend June.

Liz Sorensen Wessel
Photo of June + Liz, Feb 2023

How You Can Honor Caregivers Who Died

The finest twenty minutes on Television occurs each year's end when "CBS Sunday Morning" honors the famous among us who have left us.

   2024 was Quincy Jones' last year on this orb. If you remember his genius, including his production of "We Are the World,"* it was because you were among the millions joining hands and voices for a few moments of unity in 1985.

   James Earl Jones acting lit up the screen (e.g. Field of Dreams.) His stirring bass announced CNN and voiced a powerful cartoon caregiver, Mufasa and Mufasa's ghost in the Lion King. Now a "ghost" himself, he can still comfort us.  

   As I write this news comes of the passing of the peanut farmer who became President. Jimmy Carter was a loving soul whose leadership won him a Nobel Peace Prize and, post Presidency, brought us Habitat for Humanity. 

   Missing from the list, of course, are a million humble caregivers worldwide who passed away. They spent their careers easing our pain, delivering our babies, bringing us curing medications and healing us with their presence as co-workers. 

   If one of them is someone you knew, please reference them in a comment, below (your email will NOT appear.) That will honor their name to hundreds who read this column each week and help us remember all who spent their careers dedicated to meeting need with love. 

-Erie Chapman

*Co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie 

Thankfulness!

We are fortunate when we are able to provide loving care for another human being.

However, we must give ourselves loving care before others so that our reserve of physical, emotional, and spiritual energy levels are high enough to match the caring task.

Continuing self care can include such activities as daily walking, jogging, water sports, meditation, yoga, fishing, golfing, religious pursuits, and finding hobbies that relax a d refresh us!

Once we are well enough, we will be able, with a grateful attitude, to continually provide the high level of care for all we serve. And our higher life satisfaction will also engender an unexpected state of lasting thankfulness for our lives, and our miraculous desire and actions to help our fellow humans!

Terry Chapman Phd

The Universal Santa

  My earliest friend appeared in 1946 when, at three, I met my neighbor, Jill. We are still friends! (1951 photo by my dad)

   Because her family had a Christmas tree and gave presents, I did not know she was Jewish until about eight - or even what that meant.

   Christians, raised like I, childishly thought that our holiday, bearing our savior's name, must be the best. Even Jill's Jewish family celebrated "our" holiday. Therefore our religion must be superior.

   Then at twelve, we moved from L.A. to Toledo, My new best friend, Greg. was Catholic.    

   "You're going to hell," he said before Christmas.

   "What?"

   "Only Catholics get heaven,"* he said confidently. 

   "You mean being Methodist is not enough?" 

   "Nope," he said.  

   Greg was a year older and I looked up to him. It was like he was saying, "If you don't believe in Santa, no presents!"

   I asked my Mom. "Oh, those Catholics," she said dismissively. 

   When we moved to Nashville ("The Buckle on the Bible Belt") a hospital board member shook my hand, leaned in and asked in a loud whisper, "You're a good Christian, right?"

   "I'm trying," I answered, "and since you're a Christian,  how are you doing praying for your enemies?"

   His laugh signaled he did not take that teaching seriously. 

   Today, as an ordained minister, I follow Jesus and his teachings. Many Christians believe that Jesus spoke literally when he said, "You can only come to God through me." 

   My deepest belief is that God is Love for all, not just Christians. Why would a non-Christian who lives love go to hell?

   Love is the universal Santa. A patient's religion plays no role in treatment. Living love assures a sacred and magical holiday. 

   Merry Christmas from my family (including our five grandkids) to you and yours.

-Rev. Erie Chapman

Photo: 5 Grandchildren - by Tia Chapman. 

   

  

Making Music In The Heart

The arrival of winter’s dark sky signals  communities around the world to look to the miracle of light as a sign of rebirth and a source of hope. We celebrate the promise of new life, and we recommit ourselves to the protection of everyone’s right to their own radiant humanity. Stars remind us ofour own resilience, especially when we’re feeling down. They offer reassurance of our great qualities when we need it most. The star is a symbol of great promise that can help to guide our way. Just as stars shine, they encourage us, to allow ourselves to shine and to discover our common threads of meaning. 

Hanukkah, the festival of lights, commemorates a time of miracles when the faith of the Jewish people sustained them to reclaim their holy temple and miraculously kept the light of the menorah burning for eight days.

Christmas, the celebration of Jesus& humble birth in a manger, invites us to revisit the miracle of His birth; of an unconditional Love that has come to heal the wounds of humanity. The message of Christmas is a timeless one of love, hope and joy.

Kwanzaa is a Swahili word that means first and signifies the first fruits of the harvest. Many people of African descent enjoy this weeklong celebration beginning Dec 26- Jan 1 in honor of family, culture, and community.

In Hinduism the Upanishads tell us something very beautiful: There is a Light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens. This is the Light that shines in our heart. The little space within the heart that is as great as this vast universe. The heavens, earth, sun, moon, and stars are there; for the whole universe is in Him and He dwells within our heart.

Black Elk of the Ogala Lakota indigenous people, offers gorgeous a glimpse into their sense of interconnectedness with all of creation. “O Great Spirit of the heavens, in the days infinite blue and amid the countless stars of the night season, remind us that you are vast, that You are beautiful and majestic beyond all of our knowing, but also that You are no further from us than the ilting upwards of our heads and the raising of our eyes.

Can you see the threads that bind us together in these various traditions?

December 21st, the longest night of the year, marks a celestial event that’s been interpreted as a possible source of the Star of Bethlehem; nativity story. Just as light shines in the darkness, the star is often considered a symbol of truth, spirit, and faith. The star embodies the notion of spiritual revelation in each of us.

My friend, Anne shares a beautiful recollection: “Winter Solstice 2020 went out with blazing color last night. After sunset, we walked in the dark, hoping to see the star. A few people sat in beach chairs and others around a campfire. I wanted to ask each one,” Have you seen the star? Oh, hey, have y’all seen the star?” The lesson from all of this (for me) is that heaven has reached down to earth, and earth has reached up to the heavens and we rejoice as one human family. In the dark, searching for the star, we had no thoughts of color of skin, race, religion, or where you’re from. We just sought the star. And in the searching, we discover that we ARE the star, with each individual human life being a cradle for the birth of Christ into the world. Heaven reaches down and we reach up and every living thing rejoices. No matter who you are, who you love, where you live, or how you look, you are a star, of great magnitude. You shine! You are brilliant! You are a beacon of light to the world. Yes indeed, you are. And the heavens shout all over the globe: ‘Amen and Amen’”!  (Anne Milligan)

Each of you are just as much a miracle as the turning of the earth, as the constancy of the northern star, as the beauty of changing seasons. 

May we remember
When you share with me what is most important to you,
That is where listening begins.

When I show you that I hear you,
When I say your life matters,
That is where compassion begins.

When I open the door to greet you,
That is where hospitality begins.

When I venture out to bring you to shelter,
That is where love begins.

When I risk my comfort to ease your suffering,
When I act against hatred, violence, and injustice,
That is where courage begins.

When we experience the full presence of each other,
Because of our shared humanity,
Because of our differences,
That is where holy gratitude begins.

May this space be a table
that is not complete
until all are welcome.

May this table be a space of beauty
where together
we create a series of miracles, and
where all that we share is sacred. (Andree Moll)

Liz sorensen Wessel

Angel photo and nativity Scene by ~liz
Sunset photo by Anne Milligan

A Double Drowning: Lightning Leadership During Trailing Thunder

When and how are crisis behaviors learned? Childhood experiences are early teachers. 

Balboa, California, Summer, 1951 Dad and I (pictured in 1949) strolled with my little sister along its beach. Suddenly, "lightning" struck. A pair of unconscious teens was being dragged from the water.

A crowd gathered. The boys, blue-faced, were dropped on towels. 

“They’ve drowned,” someone said. 

My seven-year-old heart was racing. Was anyone going to do anything?

Everyone just stood there except one.

“Watch out for your sister!” Dad ordered. Racing forward, he cradled one boy, then looked up at the crowd.

“You,” he commanded another adult. “Take the other boy and copy what I’m doing.”

The startled man obeyed.

No CPR back then. My father used the “Holger-Neilsen Rescue Method.” Riveted, I watched him turn the dying boy onto his stomach, lean his own body weight forward, and push down rhythmically on the boy’s back. No response.

  “Keep at it,” dad called to his partner. So the other man persisted.

  Amid the thundering crisis, lightning struck again. The dead boy coughed up volumes of water, and opened his eyes.

   “Okay?” dad asked raising him up.

   “Yes,” he sputtered.

A miracle! I thought. Death into life.

The other boy was still “out.” Dad rushed over, eased the other helper aside, continued life saving to complete a second miracle.

Without dad, the boys would have died.

---

The lightning of that crisis struck the crowd equally. In the trailing thunder only dad stepped forward. Only he found the courage to lead.

Head of the Hollywood YMCA and already my hero, he had shared other stories of life saving. I had never seen him do it.

Many freeze in post-crises thunder. My father showed me, again, what leadership looked - including with his final act that day.

“Let’s go, kids” he said, leading us offstage.

As we walked away, I studied the bystanders. No one patted my hero father on the back. He did not need that. 

Humility, common in caregivers, rare among leaders, needs no applause.

-Erie Chapman, III

The Miracle of Kindness

Kindness

One never knows
How far a word of kindness goes;
One never sees
How far a smile of friendship flees.
Down, through the years,
The deed forgotten reappears.

One kindly word
The souls of many here has stirred.
Man goes his way
And tells with every passing day,
Until life's end:
"Once unto me he played the friend."

We cannot say
What lips are praising us to-day.
We cannot tell
Whose prayers ask God to guard us well.
But kindness lives
Beyond the memory of him who gives.

Edgar Albert Guest

A Loving gesture or simple acts of kindness can have impacts on the receiver way beyond our ever knowing. As a teenager I worked on a behavioral health unit for teenagers. One day,  I was walking along a path from the towns common area down to the Retreat Center. As I passed a youth I smiled and said hello. Some weeks later that same patient told me what a significant impact that friendly greeting was for him on that particular day when he was feeling isolated, depressed and alone. I had no idea.

Each one of us can recall countless experiences of situations in which a person showed us a simple act or perhaps an extraordinary act of kindness. I recall a situation when I was up in the mountains during a snowy winter.  We drove up to a higher elevation to play in the snow, a novelty for those of us living in S.CA. Upon feeling quite cold and ready to head down the mountain I realized I had locked my keys in the car. Phone reception did not work and we were stuck there. This young, petitie woman offered to try and help. Strangers who observed our plight came to our rescue as well, but to no avail and quickly gave up. However, this woman was persistent and kept on trying. It took nearly two hours before she managed to get into the trunk of the car open. Once open, her generosity went even further as she crawled into the trunk. She worked long and hard to get the back seat to fold down and crawled into the back seat of the vehicle to retrieve my keys. I was in awe that someone would go to those lengths to help us. One of those people I will never forget. An act of kindness out of the goodness of her heart!

In healthcare, caregivers are making a huge difference in the lives of patients and their families as they traverse very difficult and challenging times. Often as quiet heroes each day offering a kind word or a compassionate presence that means so much to the person who is vulnerable and suffering in some way. The impact of these gestures on the receiver as well as the giver are often reciprocal in which each person experiences healing.

Whenever we act from a place of love, miracles occur.  According to A Course of Miracles (ACIM), spiritually, “There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not "harder" or "bigger" than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal.”

The above familiar photo is of my grandson, gifting me with a bouquet of dandelions that he picked. I am so grateful that his loving gesture was captured in time for me to recall with loving fondness each time I behold it.

It is uplifting to reflect upon the little acts of kindness we receive or witness and share to write down and retell these little stories, and in this way rekindle them in our hearts and relive them. Loving thoughts that bind us together forever.

Liz Sorensen Wessel

The Day I Won The Lottery

 

Naturally, I recall that day's anticipatory joy.

   The memory evokes a seven centuries old sentence: Dante's opening to, The Divine Comedy,*: “Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path."

   The sentence matters because we wonder: "Where am I in my life?" Or, when older, "Where have I been?"

   In the middle of my life I won the lottery. No dark wood but a sunlit dream.  Greeks coined such epiphanies Anagnorisis**

   The day the prize was delivered, July 1, 1983. At thirty-nine, I walked through the doors of not just any hospital, but Riverside Methodist, the largest in Ohio. I was too immature to imagine the depth of the victories ahead including becoming a top ten hospital and reshaping RMH into a flagship as founding president of OhioHealth.

   Thousands of other caregivers walked through those same doors. I was their CEO. What an incredible privilege it was...and remains so to this day.

   Ten years later, my son said: "Dad! You are at the top of your career!" Still not getting it, I told him, "No. I must go higher."

   Such ambition blocked my grasping that good luck in the moment. Yes. There were more successes, mixed with agonizing personal defeats. Yet, my son was right. 

   Some say in the middle of their lottery-winning days, "Thank God it's Friday." Or, "I can't wait until retirement." 

   If you are any level caregiver today and hear yourself wanting "out" you have "wandered off the path" or are under-appreciating your riches. Each day you awake in the middle of your chance to help heal others.

   Realizing your calling is better than winning the lottery because it is a lifetime gift. I finally appreciate that. We tried our best to help thousands. And did.    

-Erie Chapman

Photo: Riverside 2024 and circa 1980s

*Also contains Dante's Inferno describing the nine circles of hell. 

**Anagnorisis a moment in a play...when a character makes a critical discovery...recognition not only of a person but also of what that person [or moment] stood for. 

Who We Truly Are

We do not become healers.
We came as healers. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become storytellers.
We came as carriers of the stories
we and our ancestors actually lived. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become artists. We came as artists. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become writers.. dancers.. musicians.. helpers.. peacemakers. We came as such. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not learn to love in this sense.
We came as Love. We are Love.
Some of us are still catching up to who we truly are.

~Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes

These wonderful words of wisdom by Clarissa Pinkola Estes speaks to my heart. I think about my long and distinguished career in nursing of 47 years and the versatility it has afforded me. My first nuring job was on a hospital  oncology unit, then in community nursing to include home health, hospice care, palliative care, program development, education, leadership, and Mission integration. Pre-nursing, I worked evenings as a psychiatric aide in an inpatient facility while in high school.  My first job in CA was as a nurses aide in a skilled nursing facility. Throughout it all there has been countless ways to bring creativity into the art and science of nursing.

Florence Nightengale expressed this so beautifully, "Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter's or sculptor's work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God's spirit?"

As we journey through life, we learn through experiencing, discovering and living into our calling. Regardless of what we do, Dr Estes sums it up so very well in this one line, "We came as Love. We are Love. 

May we remember who we truly are. 

Shared by Liz Sorensen Wessel
Watercolor/ink pen by ~liz

Radical Hope Starts With Reality

 "Hope starts with reality," Dr. Clay Stauffer intoned, "and Fear is a bad advisor."

   I would have said, "No. Dreams father Hope." Clay is right. The launchpad for dreams is made of concrete. 

   Hope and Fear dominate most lives.    

   Easy to hope if we are healthy and safe. How could cancer's reality bring buoyancy? What about betrayal? What about any loss, especially when hopes for national unity seem distant?

   No depressed person says, "I feel so hopeful." When flattened by life, optimism was as unattainable for me as Pluto.

   Radical Loving Care^® ("Radical," meaning love beyond expectations) encompasses radical hope. Both live outside the box.   

   Caregivers know what once startled me. That many cancer say, "It was the best thing that ever happened to me."

   Miles* (pictured), a profoundly mature 20 year-old also surprised me recently by reporting, "My parent's divorce was one of the best things in my life."

   These radical hopers found joyful surprises beyond the box. How?

   The cancer survivor said, "I learned fearlessness." Miles (pictured) acquired "two great new step-parents and three siblings."

   These two show us the path to Life's fountainhead: Hope. 

-Erie Chapman

*Miles Chapman, my oldest grandson - 9/23

  

Cultivating Gratitude

I was listening to one of Tara Brach’s podcasts on cultivating gratitude this morning. I would like to share just a few pearls in what I heard. "There is an oft-quoted Taoist saying that every human life contains 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows."  It's human to suffer, to struggle with painful emotions like sadness, loneliness or anxiety. But it's also inherently human to experience positive feelings like joy, happiness and love. 

 

Brach shared this story told by a Great American historian journalist author James Agee. He recounts an experience during the Great Depression. He found the impoverished elderly woman in the hollows of Appalachia, and she was living in this tiny shack with dirt floors and no heat and no plumbing. So, he asked her, “What would you do if someone came along and gave you some money to help you out?” She was rocking in her chair and shook her head, and she said, “Well I guess I'd give it to the poor.”   

 

Brach offers this epiphany, “What’s so striking about this story is that within it is one of the greatest of the spiritual teachings- the teachings of awakening- which is for true happiness.  It's not about what's happening but how we are relating to it. So, we can be in any state but whether or not we're happy, whether or not we're feeling our hearts are open, it's going to depend on how we're relating to what's happening.”

 

It seems like the people who have the least are often the most generous, sharing what little they have and helping each other.

 

As we enter into this Holy season that is often filled with lots of activity. It is wise to be intentional about taking care not to get so caught up in the busyness that we miss the beauty, mystery and goodness that's available every day. Mindfulness practices can help keep us grounded and aware.

 

I enjoy taking my dog for walks in the neighborhood a couple times each day, He has become so accustomed to our walks that he comes and expectantly waits for me to stop working and get going. It is good for both of us and I find myself increasingly grateful for the nudges that he gives me, our companionship and experiencing and enjoying fresh air, sunshine and beautiful cloud formations depending on the day. An additional benefit is that I am feeling more at home in the nieghborhood, saying hi to people I've never met and engaging in waves, greetings and smiles. It has been lifting my spirit. The two St bernard dogs Abbie and Pugsly are huge furry teddy bears who love for us to stop and pet them. Chance would rather keep on going but he patiently standsby or gives a little yank on the leash to give me a cue.

 

With gratitude,

Liz

Artwork by ~liz

Does A Hospital Leader Matter?

     A month before I departed as CEO of Riverside Methodist Hospital (RMH) and OhioHealth, questions arose about new leadership. As a lame duck CEO, I was powerless to delay layoffs initiated despite the system's booming bottom line and sky-high morale.

    I asked a doctor his thoughts.

   "Not sure the leader matters that much, Erie," he said.

   Months later a colleague called, "Did you hear about Marcy?"

   "No, how is she?" I answered.

   A thirty-year veteran, Marcy Alton* (pictured) whose HR role was organizing events, was one of RMH's most well-loved employees. Her perpetual smile raised everyone's energy. 

   "She was fired," my friend reported.

   "What?" I said.

   "It gets worse. Several employees saw security escorting her to her car. Staff-cut," he said with disgust. "Every eliminated employee is escorted to their car."

   "If they treat Marcy like that, what about me?" staff wondered. Instead of saving money, the bottom line went down as did patient/employee satisfaction.   

   Culture determines behavior. Leaders determine culture. Only the board can remove them. Staff, including doctors, have no vote. 

   Sadly, this story returned eight years later. As I prepared to turn over the reins of Nashville's Baptist Hospital System** to a new President, a neonatologist saw my dismay.

   "Don't worry," she said. The leader doesn't make much difference."

   "What about workplace culture?" I asked

    She shrugged. And was wrong.

   Once again, my successor needlessly cut staff. Once again, satisfaction scores and finances tailed down. 

   Like it or not, every leader, like every parent, store owner, coach and President, impacts energy. Radical Loving Care^® matters. 

   We ignore that truth at our peril. 

-Erie Chapman

*Marcella "Marcy" Alton (1948-2020.) I told her story in 2021 and retell it today.

**Renamed St. Thomas Midtown

NOTE: Please support our mission of loving care via http://www.eriechapmanfoundation.net  or by check to Erie Chapman Foundation, 112 Dunham Springs Lane, Nashville. 

   

One Small Step

One Small Step is a StoryCorp Program that invites two people who are stangers with differing political views to come togehter for a conversation about their lives not their politics. The beauty of these encounters is that sthe conversations are about getting to know the person rather than by labeling someone. To really see the person beyond surface impressions. At the end of a 50 min conversation would be strangers are now friends. This is a wonderful example of planting seeds that will someday blossom. Seeds of healing for a nation that is in desperate need of reconcilation, forgiveness and finding a path towards unity.

I just love these two short (2 min) videos that reminds us of who we are and celebrates our humanity.  May we find our way home to each other.

 

Tell us what you think.

Shared by Liz Sorensen Wessel

Changing the Face of the Mountain

Once upon a time, in a remote, unfriendly village that clung to the side of a mountain, there lived an old woman whose habits seemed strange to her neighbors.  Since the harsh winters kept most villagers huddled near their fireplaces, they did not cultivate the art of hospitality, and rarely spoke to anyone outside their immediate families.

The mountainside, itself bleak and barren, beckoned no one toward its slopes, even in the less harsh seasons of the year.  Only the children ventured to climb, ever so stealthily, partway up its side; a daring feat that they were cautioned not to do by their parents.

During such furtive forays, they inevitably met the old woman.  Most of the time she was bending over, digging a little hole in the ground, and dropping a tiny something into it.  The braver children asked: “what are you doing, old woman?”  Her reply was always the same: “I am changing the face of the mountain.” 

The children grew into adulthood, and most left the village for the world of cities.  It came to pass, however, after several decades, one grown child returned to show her husband and children the harsh environment of her youth that she had often described to them.  She came back but she did not recognize it. 

The mountainside was ablaze with a dazzling array of colorful flowers gently swaying in the breeze.  Clusters of bushes and young trees lent their foliage as shade to the myriads of children and adults gathered along the base of the mountain.  All spoke to each other, laughed and played games.  Families and neighbors picnicked together.

The woman who had returned stopped one of the villagers to ask: “When did all of this come about?  What happened to the bleak and barren mountainside of my childhood?”  The villager replied: “Do you remember the strange old woman who lived here, the one who would wander up and down the mountainside?”  It was she who planted these seeds.  She went out every day, intent on her sowing; believing all the while the results would fruit.”

The woman did recall the image of this old and bent figure from her childhood.  At last, she understood the meaning of these words: “I am changing the face of the mountain.

 

This story was shared with me some years ago. However, this week it surfaced in my thoughts as a message that I needed to hear and reflect upon. May we plant seeds for the good of all. 

Artwork by my dear friend Diane Barrows

Shared by Liz Sorensen Wessel

 

Change or Revelation?

   Near the end of a long and unusual career, it is affirming when caregivers say, "Erie, you changed my life. You discovered a strength I didn't recognize."

   Today, I realized those two sentences signal very different processes. The first implies "changing" another. The second honors what was already there. 

   The second approach rings truest today.   

   Kirsten, my profoundly encouraging wife of 58 years, elicits my best. Her ability to expose my weaknesses highlights better paths. 

   The best aspects of parenting our children Tyler and Tia, honored their potential. Luckily, that offset some mistakes. 

   We are grateful rather than proud of them and the parents they became.  We did not change them. We encouraged. 

   Good leaders, like OhioHealth's first HR Senior VP Mark Evans, mirror good parenting. He focused his team's energy on strengths rather fault-finding. 

   For years, I have campaigned for leadership that catalyzes positive powers. This Journal contrasted this Presidential campaign's leadership styles as a learning for all leaders.

   In fact, this election taught a huge lesson I did not foresee. 

   President-elect Trump, the same leader who incited a mob to stop the Senate from certifying his loss, recognized that America's frustration was not a trickle but a raging river. He opened the floodgates for Americans, who were "mad as hell and wouldn't take it any more!"*

   Anger's energy can be converted for good. What Trump does with the immense resource of American's frustration is far more important than winning the election.

   Will he lead like President Theodore Roosevelt who saw the potential of America's natural resources and founded our national parks. Or, had he been President then, would Trump have envisioned the Grand Canyon as a real estate development?

   Will he change our lives by revealing our best, like Lincoln, or incite our worst like Jefferson Davis**? 

-Erie Chapman

Photo: National Park Service/M. Quinn

*Paraphrase from "Network" (1976) 

**President of the Confederacy

 

      

Blessed Are You

Blessed are you who see it all now.
The terrible, beautiful truth that our world,
our lives seem irreparably broken.

And you can’t unsee it.
The hungry kid. The exhausted mom.
The woman who wonders if any of this is worth it.
The loneliness and despair.

Blessed are you who glimpse reality and don’t turn away.
This kind of seeing comes at a steep cost,
and it is a cost you may not have paid intentionally,
but here you are.
Seeing things clearly.

Blessed are you who have worked hard
to keep your heart soft.
You who live with courage,
fixing what is in your reach,
praying about what is not,
and loving, still.

May you experience deeper capacity and glimpses of hope, as
you continue to see the world as it is.

Terrible. Beautiful. Fragile

~ Kate Bowler

Shared by Liz Sorensen Wessel

Charity Toward All, Revenge, or Bless Them, Change me?

I. "Bless them, change me"

   My friend, perfectly named Ed Goodrich, changed my life today. He knows my distress amid our national leadership crises and how it may impact caregivers.  

   "There's a four word phrase that could help," he said. "When insulted, pray: 'Bless them, change me.'" 

   Instantly, I felt better. No more saying "I'll pray for you." That sounds like I'm asking my God to change your "wrong" into my "right." Bless you. Change me. 

   Beware of political brain fog. Because we support Trump or Harris does mean we ARE either. 

II."With charity toward all"

Cursing fellow Americans while refusing to practice love can be deadly.

  "We are not enemies, but friends," our most admired President told 25,000. "We must not be enemies," he begged; passion may strain friendships, but, "it must not break our bonds of affection."

   Listen to "the better angels of [y]our nature," Abraham Lincoln implored.

   The crowd agreed and fatally failed to heed.

   It was March 4, 1861. Just thirty-nine days later, April 12, 1861, Confederate soldiers fired on Fort Sumter. Deafness to the new President's appeal triggered the most tragic display of homicidal idiocy in American history.

   March 4, 1865, precisely four years later, a victorious and heartbroken Lincoln, appealed once more to the best angels among his 40,000 listeners. Millions had died or suffered other unspeakable loss. Northerners wanted what men's darkest demons always seek: Revenge. 

   Lincoln, would have none of it. "With malice toward none, with charity for all" he told the startled crowd "...let us bind up the nation's wounds, care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan...do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace..."

  April 14, 1865 the calendar again tolled tragedy. Four years and two days after Rebels fired canon balls into Fort Sumter, a revenge-poisoned Rebel fired a single bullet into the head of our finest President.  Lincoln had joined the list of the Civil War dead.

III. "Ultimate and absolute revenge"?

  The same revenge-devil that poisoned Lincoln's assassin now darkens the voice of former President Trump. Increasingly over recent days he has repeatedly promised "ultimate and absolute revenge" against anyone, including Republicans, who opposed him. The list grows by the hour and now includes not just Harris and Pelosi but numerous former members of his own cabinet. A few days ago, he said former Republican Congressman Liz Cheney, should be "shot in the face" by a 9-person firing squad.  

   Will we choose a champion of "Charity toward all" or break "the bonds of affection" by choosing an advocate of violence by Americans against Americans?

   Yes. Trump remains a child of God. May God's blessing quiet hate from both sides, and change us. 

   Meanwhile, why wait for leaders to unite us? Regardless of party, why not heed the voices of our better angels?

-Reverend Erie Chapman, M.T.S., J.D.