Hero: One for you, One for me
Hero. Not a film star hero. Not a superhero. Not a public figure hero. Not an everyday hero. My heroes fit a very different description....
I interned at a mental health facility two summers. My internship was one of the most humbling and life changing experiences of my life. I worked along side social workers, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists. Together we helped create a nurturing environment of growth, stability, and safety. My role was small, but the staff made me feel welcome and kept me involved in the clinical processes. The facility was an out patient day time facility for patients suffering from mental illness. Many of the patients also suffered from other mental disabilities such as mild to severe mental retardation. These patients were discharged form the hospital but still needed on going care. So they would come to this facility from 9-4 and get counseling, medications, and treatment. Many of the patients live in group homes for the mentally ill or at home with relatives. I was given the opportunity to read many of the case histories and what I found shocked me. Many of the these patients had faced trauma beyond our wildest imaginations. Many had been raped, abused, or neglected- so many people took advantage of them because the patients were vulnerable. Many were mocked, or provided with inadequate treatment... life was cruel to many of the patients. And yet everyday I met them there was a smile on there face. They grew to like me, trust me, seek solace in my company. They were genuine. No matter how many people had wronged them or what there disabilities were, the patients (for the most part) persevered, and moreover thrived. They were heroes in my book.
Today I was at my sister's induction ceremony and there was a student from a school that performed to Mariah Carey's song- Hero. He was mentally retarded, and yet he stood before the crowd, center stage, and sign languaged mariah's song. I was about to cry. Partly because mariah's songs sometime have that effect on me, and partly because this boy provided me with so much hope. He performed with such conviction, confidence, and emotion- I was taken aback. He was inspiring. He was a hero. Mariah says in her song, that there is a hero within us all. That we within ourselves have the ability to succeed and thrive and move along. She states, "So when you feel like hope is gone, Look inside you and be strong, And you'll finally see the truth,-That a hero lies in you". Mariah couldn't have said it any better. Everyone has the potential to be a hero. We can help ourselves, we can extend our helping hands to others, and we can be true to ourselves and those around us. My heroes don't always fly, or wear shiny suits, or save people from falling buildings- but my heroes persevere when things are tougher than imaginable, they fight the odds, and they shine through.
I am so grateful to have landed that internship. It not only allowed me to meet a great group of people but inspired to pursue a career in mental health. My heroes served as my inspiration, and I am glad that i was given the opportunity to work with such a wonderful and special group of people!
I interned at a mental health facility two summers. My internship was one of the most humbling and life changing experiences of my life. I worked along side social workers, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists. Together we helped create a nurturing environment of growth, stability, and safety. My role was small, but the staff made me feel welcome and kept me involved in the clinical processes. The facility was an out patient day time facility for patients suffering from mental illness. Many of the patients also suffered from other mental disabilities such as mild to severe mental retardation. These patients were discharged form the hospital but still needed on going care. So they would come to this facility from 9-4 and get counseling, medications, and treatment. Many of the patients live in group homes for the mentally ill or at home with relatives. I was given the opportunity to read many of the case histories and what I found shocked me. Many of the these patients had faced trauma beyond our wildest imaginations. Many had been raped, abused, or neglected- so many people took advantage of them because the patients were vulnerable. Many were mocked, or provided with inadequate treatment... life was cruel to many of the patients. And yet everyday I met them there was a smile on there face. They grew to like me, trust me, seek solace in my company. They were genuine. No matter how many people had wronged them or what there disabilities were, the patients (for the most part) persevered, and moreover thrived. They were heroes in my book.
Today I was at my sister's induction ceremony and there was a student from a school that performed to Mariah Carey's song- Hero. He was mentally retarded, and yet he stood before the crowd, center stage, and sign languaged mariah's song. I was about to cry. Partly because mariah's songs sometime have that effect on me, and partly because this boy provided me with so much hope. He performed with such conviction, confidence, and emotion- I was taken aback. He was inspiring. He was a hero. Mariah says in her song, that there is a hero within us all. That we within ourselves have the ability to succeed and thrive and move along. She states, "So when you feel like hope is gone, Look inside you and be strong, And you'll finally see the truth,-That a hero lies in you". Mariah couldn't have said it any better. Everyone has the potential to be a hero. We can help ourselves, we can extend our helping hands to others, and we can be true to ourselves and those around us. My heroes don't always fly, or wear shiny suits, or save people from falling buildings- but my heroes persevere when things are tougher than imaginable, they fight the odds, and they shine through.
I am so grateful to have landed that internship. It not only allowed me to meet a great group of people but inspired to pursue a career in mental health. My heroes served as my inspiration, and I am glad that i was given the opportunity to work with such a wonderful and special group of people!
Comments
Post a Comment