Raise the spirit of those around us
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
As 2020 comes to an end, many people will reflect on this year as one filled with unique challenges.
The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on health care systems everywhere. Whether it be a personal experience or that of a family member or friend, suffering through the illness at any level provides a clearer understanding of its potential life-changing impact. The COVID-19 pandemic also brought challenges at home from balancing the remote learning of children to managing an overall sense that we are putting our lives on hold.
The year also brought many acts of heroism, service and sacrifice. Those experiences renew our faith in the goodness of the human spirit. Likewise, it is uplifting to see that potentially successful vaccines are on the horizon.
Challenging year
It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on almost every sector of our economy. As such, the year also proved to be challenging to orthopedics. There were changes in income and continuing medical education experiences, temporary closures of ASCs and postponements of elective surgeries, to name a few challenges. Orthopedic practices also had to furlough or terminate employees, then had difficulty bringing the employees back due to added home responsibilities, competition with health care systems and reduced overall revenue.
However, through it all, we learned that our lives are interconnected to society in ways that we do not routinely appreciate.
Service to others
While the current guidelines recommend limited social interaction, it is still the season in which service to others is incredibly important and should remain a priority. With all the negative events of 2020, we need to move forward. We need to find ways to give to others while being responsible in our efforts to prevent added COVID-19 infections.
Service to others is part of the process of moving on to the promise of a better year in 2021. Service to others improves one’s overall wellness, mental health and relationships. People who routinely serve others find their lives more enriched, purposeful and successful.
Fortunately, even with social distancing, there are numerous ways to serve others. Donate to good causes or volunteer time to organizations in your local community.
Food insecurity is at an all-time high in the United States. National organizations, such as Feeding America, provide an opportunity to donate, work at a food bank, create fundraisers and improve awareness of this critical social determinant of health in our society. Many religious organizations and other similar groups have also created programs to address the critical issues in the communities we serve.
Ways to serve
During this holiday season, giving thanks for our blessings is indeed important, However, it is critical to remember the many people, including children, who have been devasted by the effects of the pandemic. We need to find ways to serve and give to those who need our help. It will help them survive the challenges that remain unsolved, as well as provide a powerful vehicle for one’s spiritual, mental and physical well-being. While the initial impulse may be to preserve everything possible, there is a unique imperative now to give our time and service to those in need.
Let’s do our part to help raise the spirit of those around us. As Sir Winston Churchill eloquently stated, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
Happy holidays to all. I wish you many blessings in 2021.
- Reference:
- www.feedingamerica.org
- For more information:
- Anthony A. Romeo, MD, is the Chief Medical Editor of Orthopedics Today. He can be reached at Orthopedics Today, 6900 Grove Road, Thorofare, NJ 08086; email: orthopedics@healio.com.
Collapse
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts