Guest Writer: It Takes a Team

In February of this year, there was a retreat for the staff of E3, an oncology ward. Nursing staff, as well as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians and doctors attended the two days, held out in the country, in an old converted barn. The retreat was about growth and rejuvenation through self care and care for the other. The natural world was identified as a resource for self-care and a way to re-energize oneself within, and with fellow teammates.

Bunny welcomed everyone to the retreat with the following address and has been kind enough to share it with us. It’s a wonderful reminder to us that we can do many things that may appear insurmountable if we are part of a team, working together with shared principles, a single purpose and compassion for others and for ourselves.

Bunny is the Clinical Manager of E3 -this is what she had to say.

"I am always so grateful for the opportunity to look back, review the year, assess all we have done together, and mostly, remember what the past year has meant to us as a unit, as a team.


So often, we can look only at things day by day in isolation, and so often we are in survival mode---for obvious reasons. We all work very hard, are short staffed and under-resourced. We see sadness, hopelessness, unbelievable physical, emotional and spiritual pain, and stress. But, what shines through all of this is laughter, hope, kindness, understanding, tolerance, survival, and growth.

These are qualities that linger, that are wonderfully contagious, that help us to overcome, together, what easily makes others want to walk away, walk away from each other and from all they have worked so hard for.

That is not what the staff of E3 is all about… We have worked hard to overcome the obstacles, meet the challenges and we have created a positive identity, a reputation of which we all can be proud. Words that come to mind are leaders, experts…

You always take what could be bad, unbearable or discouraging and you work with it, you work above it, you work around it, and together, you always make it happen. It is really quite incredible.

Despite the daily reality of our oncology ward, the sorrow, the pain and the suffering you see, I always ask myself, “How do you all do it?” But, you do do it, You are it! You have what it takes to be there, to be present for our patients and their loved ones and for each other.”

Thank you,
Bunny
(Introductory comments for 2009 Staff Retreat E3 Oncology Ward Staff Retreat, Feb. 2009)

We are a team, you and I, of the Whole Earth Care Virtual Community. We want Earth to be healthy. We want a future worth living for our children, our grandchildren and all future generations. We want to maintain the beauty and power of Earth; clean air, water, soil, a diversity of peoples, animals, forests, plants and lifestyles. We reuse, reduce and recycle, pull back on all the stuff we think we need to be happy, support peace and those who have been pushed to the margins of life. Like Bunny’s team, we can do it, we are doing it and we have what it takes to make a difference.

Thank you, Bunny, for reminding us of our power to “overcome the obstacles, meet the challenges” and move forward as “leaders, experts”.

I subscribe to http://www.tricycle.com/ , a bit of wisdom that arrives on my email each morning. Often, it offers me just what I need to start the day. This came a few days ago and I felt it was just the thing for this Blog Posting.

“The Path to True Happiness

Everything in life changes. The path to true happiness is one of integrating and fully accepting all aspects of our experience. This integration is represented in the Taoist symbol of yin/yang, a circle which is half dark and half light. In the midst of the dark area is a spot of light, and in the midst of the light area is a spot of darkness. Even in the depths of darkness, the light is implicit. Even in the heart of light, the dark is understood, acknowledged, and absorbed. If things are not going well for us in life and we are suffering, we are not defeated by the pain or closed off to the light. If things are going well and we are happy, we are not defensively trying to deny the possibility of suffering. (Sharon Salzberg, from Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Shambhala)”


It’s the New Moon on Thursday, April 9th. Some names given to this month’s full moon are: Planter’s, Growing or Seed Moon, Flower Moon, Moon when geese return in scattering formation, and Awakening Moon. Aren’t these lovely names!

And while you are out looking up at the moon this coming week, note how the winter sky is giving way to the summer sky. Can you find the Evening Star or Venus? How about Orion’s Belt?


Don’t forget that Earth Day is on Wednesday April 22nd. There will be lots of activities taking place in your neighbourhoods, so keep an eye open for an opportunity to get involved.

Maureen1 sent me a notice that in the Hamilton-Dundas area, on Saturday, April 25th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. there will be the annual Cootes Clean-up with a free BBQ at McMaster University’s Ivor Wynne Centre at 1:30 p.m. Stations with gloves and bags will be located at: Princess Point, Cootes Drive (at the bridge), Market Arena Dundas, the School Bus Lot in Dundas and McMaster University Ivor Wynne Centre.

If anyone else has notices for Earth Day, send them to moczero@sympatico.ca

It’s a great opportunity to come out as families, teams of collogues or friends and, even Virtual Community members.

Media:

YouTube:

The Love of a Lion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3zZX7P5K6I&NR=1

What Would It Look Like

http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=1494

There will be no Blog Postings for the Easter Weekend. The next Blog Posting will be with Katie, The Answer Lady.

Earth Family First,
maureen
(Photos by Google Images)