By Nick Jacobs

As I reflect on the sacred role that has been bestowed upon us as healthcare providers, I recognize the depth of trust, commitment and sharing that we are privy to in our jobs, and I breathe deeply, close my eyes and allow those thoughts to wash over me like a healing light.

The experience is so profound and so moving that many people never fully grasp the significance of the every day miracles that are so much an ingredient of our work lives.

We are there when new life arrives.

We are there when life passes.

We are there for all aspects and challenges of life as the deck is dealt on a daily basis to our patients and their families.

Each of these experiences provide connections at a spiritual level that can only be imagined by a non healthcare worker.

When I see the play unfold as it should with the appropriate light cues, the correct lines, apt expressions of emotion, and displays of kindness, it truly can be a beautiful thing.

When we, as caregivers, understand it at every level, and break from our normal gate to move in lockstep with the grieving family or the petrified parents, it is a cadence that can only be appreciated by them as we carry out our journey through this sometimes lonely world.

And when we move toward the hurting spouse or the sobbing family member and share in their pain, hurt, grief, or sorrow, that is when it begins to feel so absolutely correct.

Just knowing that we were invited to share those moments with perfect strangers is an amazing gift. In fact, it can be just what the doctor ordered for both patient and caregiver.

Healthcare is not perfect. Our lives are usually hectic, stressful and disconcerting. Our world is complex and it can drain us deeply each and every day, BUT it is a world of reality, a world of caring, a world of deep emotional attachment that is almost impossible to create in a non-hospital environment.