Before I begin, I want to first say thank you to all those who serve our communities in our hospitals. It is National Hospital Week and a time to say thank you for all you have done in the last two years and all you continue to do. We answer a call, and we are driven to help and support those in need. Whether you are at the bedside or you are creating programs to make our work safer you are all part of the team that serves our communities.
I do not remember where I heard the above quote, but it resonated with me. When we honor dignity, it does not mean that we avoid conflict or that we cannot disagree. The very essence of dignity tells us that confrontation and honest and direct communication are important in building relationships. Which is better, telling someone how you feel about the decisions they made or gossiping with others about that person? Think about the times when you were the subject of gossip or when you participated in this activity. How did it make you feel? As you ponder that I want you to know that this post is not about gossip. It is about what I see that is happening in our country to our most vulnerable people. Today I am coming in like a lion with the hope of being the lamb that I am.
Over 100,000 people died last year from drug overdoses, crime and homicides are up 30% across our nations inner-cities, suicides among our children up significantly since the pandemic, people are suffering from depression, anxiety, and other major behavioral health diagnoses and there are not enough workers or clinics to help them. Many of these patients sit in emergency departments for days and weeks. The lines at food pantries and getting longer to the point that many run out of food. Our homeless population continues to grow. We are struggling as a nation and at some point, we all must be lions so that our lambs can make a difference.
These events that I discuss touch me deeply. I have struggled in my life but came through it because of the goodness of people. I speak today to honor those who showed me dignity and compassion and help me become someone better. I have dedicated my life to helping others as a nurse, as a church leader, and as a father. I strive to make a difference because it is my mission and my vision. I am not perfect, and I have made many mistakes, but I have taken those mistakes and used them to push me harder to make a difference. I am roaring like a lion to help those with no voice. I am holding them like a lamb so that they know they matter.
Today’s dignity post is about acknowledging those who struggle and need our help, it is about making a difference for one person, one family, one town, one city, one state, and one country. It is what I believe is my obligation and it is why I write these posts.
“Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” – Helen Keller
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 