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Get well soon!
I can still remember the time when my grandmother fell ill. I had been weeping continuously looking at her weak frame, lying helplessly on the bed. The distressing smell of medicines in the hospital, and the grim movement of doctors and nurses all over the place only added to the uncomfortable ambience. I was sitting next to my granny’s bed, tears streaming down my face. As I looked on through a mist of tears at her wrinkled body, I could not help wondering how my granny would be feeling. After all, lying in the bed for a period of two months does leave people sad and desolate.
When I had sadly confided in my sister how much I wanted to help granny out of the traumatizing experience, she had hugged me and explained that though we cannot take her ailment away, we can at least help her around with small things that have great meanings.
How many times have you fallen ill? Didn’t you always yearn for that comforting shoulder, that soothing hug, those caring words every time you fell ill? Sick people also need loads of our attention and care, not only as far as medicines and doctors are concerned, but also a little bit of emotional support and concern. Together these can add up to drive away half of the person’s gloom.
Making the person talk
Do you remember the number of times you have talked to someone close to you when you were sick, and the great relief it brought? Similarly, a person who is ill needs to let out his feelings and share the pain and distress with someone. Just as talking to someone always helps when you are disturbed about something, making an ill person talk about his feelings and trying to understand what he is going through eases the pain as well.
Not only should we lend a good ear to our dear ones, but we should also provide them with sincere advice on how to deal with the pain. Sharing one of our own painful experiences with them will also make them realize that someone else has also been through the tragedy of falling ill. My sister is still grateful to her best friend who used to come to see her daily when she had jaundice and talked to her for hours. She said it relieved her more than any medicine or treatment could have.
Taking gifts and cards
Even though it is not a happy moment when someone falls ill, it really helps to show your concern and affection by presenting a gift to your loved one. Especially when you are going to see a small child who has fallen ill, it would be a great idea to drop by a small toy the child can play with or maybe a good book to read. Moreover, it would only bring a smile to your aunt’s face if you take a hand-made card and a bunch of fresh flowers for her when she is having a hard time in the hospital. Do try this out for yourself and see how many smiles you would bring to so many faces. Besides the hoards of blessings that would be bestowed on you will be invaluable!
Weep a bit with them
It is indeed true that we should try to hide our feelings of sorrow before a sick person, but sometimes it creates the impression that we are being thoughtless. But that doesn’t mean we should sob and cry too much before the ill ones; that would make them feel more helpless and depressed. It is wise to strike a balance between the two. Sharing a tear with your loved one once or twice will make them feel that you too understand what that person is going through and they would realize that they are not alone in the distressing moment. When my granny was at the hospital, I used to cry with her at times, and she used to hug me and say, “I am glad you are there with me.” Oh, and make sure your tears aren’t crocodile tears!
Take good care of them
Even though it sounds so straight forward, it is harder than we can imagine. Ask your Mum how much of her own time and occupations she has to sacrifice to nurture you back to health when you fell ill. You, too, can show your concern by preparing special meals for your dear ones, or by massaging their heads. And how about the most forgotten one —giving them their medicines on time? This way you will make them realize how important they are to you and how very much you want them to get well soon!
Help them out once they have recovered
How many of you remember that story in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul about a girl who got her head shaved to help her friend out? Her friend was recovering from a horrifying accident and had to get her head shaved to heal up the head injuries. In order to help her face the ridicule from inconsiderate pals at school, her best friend got her head shaved, too, to ease her torment. Wasn’t that something VERY noble to do? Tell me honestly, how many of us would actually take a step as drastic as this one to help our best friend? Well, try imagining yourself in that situation; then you would realize how difficult it can be when you are trying to get back to normal life after a long period of being in bed. Talking, sharing, and being considerate to the other person helps a great deal, but be careful not to sympathize with them as it will dampen their self-confidence.
Most of us have some time or the other fallen prey to an ailment and I am sure it helped us realize what suffering a sick person has to bear. Just by making small efforts and being there with them and trying to make them happy eases most of the pain. Don’t you remember the movie Patch Adams and how the leading character helps ill people out by making them smile? It is up to us to do the little we can and make an ill person feel special.
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