Corner Booth

So I just returned from a seminar about Anger in Grieving Children. Not exactly thrilling unless you're in my field, but that's not what this post is about. At the end of the day long seminar the instructor said something that hit me harder than anything else she had said throughout the class. With the exception of teachers, police, sewer workers, and sweat shop children, those in the mental health field may have the most thankless jobs in America. After spending weeks with a child, we walk them out of the unit, through two locked doors and SOMETIMES we'll get a "thanks" from the patient's parent (usually for letting them off the unit rather than consoling and helping their child when the parent just couldn't take anymore). Se la vie, it's what we do and I'm not here to bitch about not being thanked for it. At the end of today's seminar, though, the instructor said, "The fact is that you guys are where the buck stops. When noone else knows what they can do, they refer the children to you and you step in and help to heal their souls. Let me be the one to thank you for that. Thank you for healing our children, thank you from the children you have healed, and thank you from those that you have yet to meet. Thank you." I literally got chills up my spine and remembered why it is that we do what we do. It's not for recognition, cuz in the grand scheme we'll never get it and we don't expect it, but damn is it nice to hear that once in a while. Thank you to all who help every day to shape the future, and thank you to Dr. Sims for recharging my battery in one day.
Much Love,
Bo

Note: I don't know how, but somehow I neglected to mention the men and women who defend our country when discussing the most thankless jobs in America. I'm sure I missed more, but there is no excuse for forgetting them. Thank you guys.