Journal of Sacred Work

Days 32-36 I Am A Child of Love

At a particular moment on a particular morning in 1163 a humble workman laid the first stone for a building that would become one of the most iconic structures in the world. Over 8 1/2 centuries later, Notre Dame still stands. After a terrible fire in 2019 no one said, "Why bother to rebuild it?" Such structures insist an energy on others that requires their survival.

Great cathedrals like Notre Dame are built one stone at a time. True greatness is not determined by bricks or building size. Excellence requires a sacred vision, high skills & leaders that nurture cultures of Radical Loving Care™. 

Winning coaches evoke deep excellence not just a list of wins. They eschew "average" & raise energy by convincing every team member that success holds high meaning & that it is achievable. 

Legendary authors start with one word or sentence. None of them write the chapters that follow until they discover a certain sacred energy that lifts their work far above the norm. 

Leaders, inventors & creators all believe their work is more than meaningful. For each, success is a sacred calling. 

The significance of great creations alters over time. The Great Pyramids & The Taj Mahal began as tributes to dead people & are now universally acclaimed because they are works of art symbolizing ideas. The importance of Notre Dame, the White House & the Washington monument have is reinterpreted by each generation.

The Mayo brothers hoped their creation would change medicine for the better. They did not dream that the Mayo Clinic would become the gold standard. That happened because their successors developed "The Mayo Way", a culture so strong that every new caregiver learns they must live up to that standard to be part of the Mayo team. 

Each leader can reach for greatness each day. Each painter can create just another painting or strive to paint the best work of their lives. And each caregiver can, today, strive to heal every person they touch. 

Magic happens in the life of each person that marries their calling to bone-deep love. It starts & continues by repeating this truth: "I am a child of God quietly building my own cathedral by living love not fear. My moments will become sacraments. I will do sacred work."  

-Erie Chapman

Days 30-31 "This Great Cosmic Universe"

God of our understanding, we come to you in these quiet moments, seeking that which is beyond ourselves. In this sacred space; we join in solidarity in the prayers of Reverend Martin Luther King to express our hopes and our dreams for a better world.

"Eternal God, out of whose mind is this great cosmic universe, we bless thee. Help us to seek that which is high, noble and Good. Help us in the moments of difficulty. Help us to work with renewed vigor for a brotherhood that transcends race or color." (Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.)

"A way in which every man will respect the dignity and worth of all human personality. A way in which every nation will allow justice to run down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. A way in which men will do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." (MLK)

"God grant that we will be participants in this newness and this magnificent development. If we will but do it, we will bring about a new day of justice and brotherhood and peace. And that day the morning stars will sing together and the sons of God will shout for joy." ((MLK)

Rev. Martin Luther's prayer offers us the hope of a better tomorrow. Whatever work we engage in, we are in essence all caregivers one to another. "Caretakers of Wonder" if you can recall reading that marvelous children's book to your children, as I do. 

May we experience our work as an opportunity for healing of mind, body and spirit. Healing that goes well beyond our technical skills to the heart of what really matters.  Every caring gesture, be it helping someone with a task, offering hospitality, a smile, a kind word and all expressions of love, are maximal in their effect.

Each act of kindness towards another makes a difference in that individuals well-being, as well as our own. In doing so, we raise each other up one encounter at a time. This in turn helps to raise up our communities  and  exemplifies Martin Luther King’s vision for equity, equality and love of our brethren.   

"You are a part of me that I do not yet know." Valerie Kaur

Offered by Liz Sorensen Wessel
Watercolor from the CHA website, artist not made known.

Days 25-29 - Why Be Average?

    "Who wants to get out of bed in the morning to be average?" hospital President Chris York asks in the draft of his new book, Setting the Standard.

   How he answered this single question during his tenure creating cultures of healing at two of Baylor's hospitals led to his selection as 2019's Healing Hospital CEO of the Year by Erie Chapman Foundation. 

   Imbedded in Chris' question is, Maybe it's okay for some people to be "average," But, nor if you are a team member delivering Radical Loving Care. His leadership sets the standard. 

   He knows that no caregiver wants to say, "I work for an average hospital with average caregivers & I do an average job." Yet, average, by definition, describes the majority of hospitals & caregivers. 

   Most people lose their way on the path to excellence. The number one cause is both personal &  cultural. One hundred percent of the leaders who have run average hospitals are average themselves.

   I faced that challenge with the first hospital I ran in the 1970s. An inner city organization with a below average medical staff, discouraged caregivers & a patient population that struggled on the edge of poverty. 

   Culture determines behavior & leaders determine culture. We raised the standard with a laser focus that demanded high competency & deep compassion from caregivers. The leader's new challenge was to take care of the people who take care of people. 

   Many leaders were replaced with those who could advance this new standard. Work became a calling, not just a job. Leaders learned to honor caregivers & never condescend. 

   When I left to lead Riverside Methodist, Ohio's largest hospital (& to found the eleven hospital OhioHealth system) the total human experience had changed. Patient & team member satisfaction had soared as had quality scores & financial performance. 

   On July 1, 1983, I became president of Riverside Methodist Hospital & we planted the seeds of Radical Loving Care. In 1984 I became founding president of OhioHealth. Success came through one core achievement: creating a culture where the human experience was dominated by high competence, deep compassion & total commitment.   

   Why rise each morning to be average? Love calls us to excellence. 

-Erie Chapman

Photo: Erie Chapman & Chris York - Baylor Public Relations Dept. 

Days 21-24 - Being The Light

Ritual must ring true. Otherwise, hallowed turns too shallow. When leaders rise to the occasion they find (or inspire others to find) words that guide as well as inspire. 

Among the most important things a President (or any leader) does is to set the tone. Great leaders signal a sense of vision & confidence that vision will be achieved. 

Great leaders surround themselves with great people (Trump proved this by doing the reverse.) Today, the world is hailing a young poet (selected by Dr. Jill Biden) who dazzled the world with a stunning performance.  

As ceremonies go, the inauguration of of a new President is among the most sacred events in our democracy. It offers unique opportunities for eloquence that are often squandered.

When does it succeed? Yesterday is an example. A handful of prior inaugurations, always at the swearing in of someone who became a great President, pointed the way. 

Both of Lincoln's inaugurals are gold standards. On the eve of the Civil War he pleaded with Americans to look to "the better angels of our nature." Tone deaf Southerners ignored that appeal leading to the most deaths in our history (more than 600,000) over the next four years. In his second inaugural, Lincoln turned away from revenge & intoned ...with malice toward none & charity toward all."

To a nation terrified by the Great Depression Franklin Roosevelt said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself..."

in 1961 John F. Kennedy's thrilled Americans with the line "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

On January 20, 2021, our newly minted President, Joe Biden rose to address a nation caught not in one crisis like a Civil War or Depression, but multiple disasters: COVID-19, racial unrest, widespread poverty & joblessness, a globe warming so rapidly the future of the world is jeopardized. 

Words will not solve these problems but can help. Healing language came from the lips of the President. Then a very young (22) Amanda Gordon, who once would have been barred from the ceremony, delivered an inaugural poem of stunning power. Inside over a hundred lines were verses I highlighted for you below:

We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all

& her concluding verses:

If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy

The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it

Poetry & prayers are among the least read & heard forms of communication. Yet, Rev. Silvester Beeman managed to capture our ears with his stirring benediction:

"In you, God, we discover our humanity. In our humanity we discover our commonness...We will befriend the lonely, the least common, the left out...Lest we miss kingdom's goal."  

Yes. We reach kingdom's goal by being "brave enough to see it...brave enough to be it."

This is the goal for all of us, especially America's brave & compassionate caregivers. Today, they can once again look to the White House for inspiration. 

-Erie Chapman

Days 18-22 How Art Trains Caregivers

While FaceTiming with my daughter she demonstrated how modern day portrait photography is lifted to fine art when the photographer has trained their eye so well that they create as artists.

 

She made this image of me with a simple screenshot (notice the keys on her laptop.) She just aimed her cell phone at her computer to capture this striking image)

 

She had suddenly noticed one of the crucial elements to a successful picture - unusual lighting. She then did something else. She positioned my face low & to the left of the image with lots of negative space that serves to highlight her subject. The viewer "discovers" the subject & notices it because it fulfills a crucial distinction - it is DIFFERENT. (I am, by the way, not posing. Just looking at my cellphone.)

 

It is not a surprise that she was an award winning photojournalist with the Hartford Courant. She became award winning because she did more than just record events.

 

I am grateful to remember that, as a little girl, she stood next to me in the darkroom & watched with fascination as images emerged in the chemical baths used with film. Years later, she has trained her eyes so that she sees much more than most whether she has a camera in her hands or not.

 

Everyone can snap a picture with their cellphone. Only a small percent can see pictures the way she does.

 

I learned long ago that art cannot be APPRECIATED in a hurry. But with a camera you can MAKE a great shot fast IF you have trained your eye. My daughter learned that too. Thank you, dear Tia.

 

Art enriches life for you as a caregiver by helping you experience life in new ways. If you are a veteran you may experience burnout. Try using your cell phone to do more than just record your vacation or snap obviously pretty things like flowers or sunsets. If this changes your eyes you will become a better caregiver. 

 

-Erie Chapman

photo by Tia Chapman Pierotti, January 12, 2021

Days 16-17 Every Loving Thought Is True

"Each day a thousand treasures come to me with every passing moment.

I am blessed with gifts throughout the day, in value far beyond all things of which I can conceive.

 A brother smiles upon another, and my heart is gladdened.

Someone speaks a word of gratitude or mercy, and my mind receives this gift.

 And everyone who finds the way to God (Love) becomes my savior, pointing out the way to me,

and giving me his certainty that what he learned is surely mine (and yours) as well. "

~A Course in Miracles

 

Affirmation: We are bearers of the Light coming together within a beautiful constellation of miracles. Dreamers of the impossible, connecting in meaningful ways to heal and transform our world, so that all of creation can flourish.

Offered by Liz Sorensen Wessel

Days 11-15 The Nurse on the Roof & The Golden Thread

   On an unknown day in 1908 this anonymous nurse took a shortcut over tenement roofs to deliver care to a patient in need. Some equally anonymous photographer looked at her upside down image in the lens of a tripod-mounted, large format camera & opened the shutter. The picture is named, "The Visiting Nurse."

   Regard her carefully. Imagine her opening a rooftop door & descending rickety stairs to care for her patient in the dimly lit tenement dwelling. She sits down with her patient &, with the very act of her presence, delivers caregiving's most important message: I am here for you.

   Let this visiting nurse represent millions of anonymous caregivers from then until now who gracefully endure hardship to help. The Golden Thread of the ancient healing tradition weaves through the hearts of each.

   Most caregivers are women. Be struck by the quietness of their courage - by their willingness, like mothers rising to nurse their babies at midnight, to deliver Radical Loving Care. 

   Caregiving is grueling, grim, grimy & joyful work. Take heart in knowing that you are part of the most noble of traditions. You offer your love to those in need.

   One hundred thirteen years ago this visiting nurse wore The Golden Thread of Radical Loving Care. The same thread now illuminates your hands.  

-Erie Chapman

Photograph - "The Visiting Nurse" - 1908 - Museum of the City of New York collection

 

Days 9-10 Peace Prayer

The sadness, pain, anger outrage, no doubt emotions are running strong and it is important to acknowledge and express truth. Yet, let's us remember a deeper truth of who we are and work towards unity and reconciliation. Violence begets violence, hate begets hate.

It does not have to be this way. Each of us has an obligation to look deeply within. So much suffering, yet we have the unrealized potential to transform this world. Our thoughts are more powerful than we can imagine. We must take care to nourish our minds with Loving thoughts, not fear.  

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

"United we stand, divided we fall"

God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly, thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others, mindful that our steps make an impact and our words carry power.
May we walk gently.
May we speak only after we have listened well.
Creator of all life, help us enter the New Year reverently, aware that you have endowed every creature and plant, every person and habitat with beauty and purpose.
May we regard the world with tenderness.
May we honor rather than destroy.
Lover of all souls, help us enter the New Year joyfully, willing to laugh and dance and dream, remembering our many gifts with thanks and looking forward to blessings yet to come.
May we welcome your abundant love. In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.
— Vinita Hampton Wright

"One nation under God with liberty and justice for all"

Prayers for peace, unity & reconciliation,

 Liz  

Artist Norman Rockwell

Days 4-8 - A Red Wheelbarrow & A Wind Poem Meditation

   He bore the most valued professional initials after his name, M.D.. Yet Dr. William Carlos Williams valued poetry as much as he did his medical training & composed some of the finest poems of the 20th century. 

   In 1923 he assembled fourteen words in what became one of his best known & best loved pieces. The poem was life changing when I read it in college. Dr. Williams proved so much with so few words - that it is the "simple" that needs exalting rather than the obviously grand. And that a trained physician could create world class literature while devoting his life to the sick. 

   Thus, he healed with words as well as with his hands. The second time you read "The Red Wheelbarrow" notice the power of Williams' line breaks - how wheelbarrow becomes two words as does rainwater:

The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens

   Williams' fourteen words float into sixteen. Profound simplicity becomes as complex & majestic as the light glazing the red surface of that wheelbarrow.

  One day this past summer I noticed effect the wind was having on the Mexican field grass in my neighbor's yard, walked over, filmed it &, with Dr. Williams whispering in my heart, made both a still picture (above) & a four minute meditation. Click on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suBNsVwLYuI

-Erie Chapman

Photoart - "Becky's Heather" - Erie Chapman, 2020-2021

Days 2-3 New Years Resolutions

As another year finally passes, our thoughts turn to what lies in store for 2021.  What will it hold for hold for those we care for and ourselves? Will we be able to meet its unique challenges? What needs changing in your caregiving? Here are ideas for making your Resolution List.  First, would you say you were a competent caregiver in 2020?  Did you find the energy and optimism to help others whether you felt good or not? Or did you on occasion, realize that your grip on caregiving principles was slipping? None of us is perfect but we can improve our use of the basic tenets of Caregiving.

These include authenticity of personality; empathy more than sympathy; high energy level; sustained optimism and outlook; enough medical or counseling knowledge and experience to make proper diagnoses and provide necessary support; doing all this over lengthy time passages.  Review each tenet and rate yourself in 2020, honestly but fairly! 

Be yourself; take good care of yourself, and offer your help freely.  Use empathy to sense what the person needs to feel better but do not overreact to their problem; they will have to be the final helper!

Be a lifelong learner; get more education-degrees and/or training to provide higher level outcomes.  Sustain your helping with each person until you are sure you have given your best.  Display endurance and persistence of a higher order in situations which take time; be upbeat in your outlook and offer a smile which provides comfort to you and the receiver. Realize and accept that no caregiver can do it all.  But your God-given gifts of talent, temperament, and authenticity of caring will save lives and raise the spirits of all you encounter!

Terry Chapman Phd