TACT — Monday Motivational Meditation #395 — 2019-03-04

Step with care and great tact,
and remember that
Life’s a Great Balancing Act.

Dr. Seuss, 1904-1991

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, was a writer and cartoonist who published over 60 books. He published his first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, under the name of Dr. Seuss in 1937.

TACT

Helping people who are ill or in need requires that I have a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense. It takes tact. Knowing what is appropriate and tasteful and sharing those things with those in need clears the way for trusting relationships. I want to be honest with those I care for, and I want to share information in a way that suggests that I also respect them and am sensitive to their feelings.

Tact begins with a willingness to make the needs and feelings of others significant to me. I know I need to awaken inside of myself a desire to understand what may be going through the minds of others as I deal with them. This kind of empathy requires a willingness to let go of judgment and offer compassion and understanding in its place. It all begins with listening.

If I let go of an undisciplined concern for myself and really open myself to the lived experience of those I serve, I don’t have to worry about being tactful as much. I will naturally be drawn to saying and doing the right thing. I’ll know instinctually the words to say or not to say in difficult or delicate situations.

Ordered Creation, help me be aware of the inner working of the world and not to be distracted by my own thoughts. With trust that I can peacefully enter every situation and have the words necessary to make challenging conditions better. Give me the wisdom to say and do all things with tactfulness to reveal a world filled with loving care. AMEN.

ACTION: Do you have tact? What are your criteria? Are there ways you might become more tactful? Who can you ask for feedback when dealing with difficult or delicate situations? Seek out your mentor in the ways of tactfulness.

Janet Antonacci is native to Westchester, New York, where as a child her morning rides to school included views of the river she now calls her artistic muse. She made her career in advertising, and wrote and shot commercials all over the world. In a sense, leaving her job to raise two sons only marked the rebirth of her creative endeavors. She has continued to write-her work has been published by The New York Times and others-and study her original craft over the years. She presently resides in Ossining, a stone’s throw from the Hudson. It’s the river and the towns that surround it, the bleeding sunsets and the faces of the fisherman who cast into them, that speak most clearly to Janet as she continues to find new ways to do what she’s done all her life: uncover meaning and create art.

See more of her work: @janriverworksphotography at Instagram.

Thanks, Janet, for sharing your beautiful photos in this series we are calling, Thoughtfulness.

Nursing Heart Friends,

This week we had the pleasure of hosting the second Nurse Practitioner group from Florida Atlantic University accompanied by Dr. Rhonda Goodman and Dr. Nancy Harris.

Our first stop was the town of Caserío Los Magueyes in San Martín Jilotepeque, where we held both general and women’s clinics over 2 days. We gave 138 patient consults in the general clinic and 41 women were seen in the women’s clinic. This clinic was an example of just how important partnerships and collaborations are as the communities’ leaders worked together to organize the space for us to use and make sure all of the people had access.

After a well-earned rest day on Wednesday we hopped back on the bus and went out to our second community for the week; San Antonio Aguas Calientes. Nursing Heart and Dr. Rhonda Goodman have a long history working with this community and its Mayor Dr. Maynor Lopez. The community is focused not only on the health of the people but also the health of the environment. They have completely abolished the use of plastic bags in the town and the Mayor provided each family with a reusable calico bag to help support them on this new journey to a better world. The bag reads “Saving our planet for our future generations”
Isn’t this an impressive initiative!

Over the two clinic days, Doctor Carlos Dionicio, a Guatemalan Public Health Doctor worked with us while we gave 210 general consults in total. We saw 61 women in the women’s clinic and performed 8 Cryotherapy treatments (removal of pre-cancerous cells).

I want to share a quote by Dra. Patricia Castro de Baiza our wonderful gynecologist (in partnership with Faith in Practice): “This was our most successful women’s’ clinic, treating a total of 8 women. We may not have had big numbers, but the women whom presented were the women who really needed our help.”

This is why Nursing Heart Inc continues the work it does in these communities in partnerships with local NGOs and universities in the USA. Thanks to each and every one of you. This is a team effort and we couldn’t have done it without you or our wonderful donors. If you would like to support a medical clinic and/or provide lifesaving medical treatment to a family who cannot afford it, please consider becoming one of our monthly donors or make a one-off donation here. We welcome you to the Nursing Heart Family.

Jade Parker-Manderson
Executive Director, Designate

“The Guatemala trip was amazing,
it was true caring in action.
Every nurse and Nurse Practitioner should be
able to benefit from such a wonderful experience.”

Terry Bohonnon, RN
Nurse Practitioner Program FAU
Adult and Geriatric Nursing