Hello, I wanted all of you to know my father is back home and, on the mend, and they are doing well post hurricane.
I have been writing this blog about dignity since July of 2020. I am not sure how many stories I have written but it amazes me that there are so many stories to tell when we talk about honoring dignity. I believe that dignity is the foundation of everything that we do. It is why I talk about dignity, and I work to live every day by connecting to the dignity of myself, others, and to something higher (Dr. Donna Hicks PhD 3-Connections of Dignity). Dignity is our inherent right to feel like we matter. We want to be understood, acknowledged, and accepted for who we are. When I am asked to speak with an individual or a team, I use the principles of dignity to get at the core of the issues and then use it to encourage self-healing and the strengthening of the team to create an environment that fosters teamwork, inclusion, and dignity.
I will tell you that any conflict that I have been involved with or have witnessed has come down to one reason and that is someone’s dignity was violated. I also have seen that healing, and the strengthening of broken relationships has happened because the parties involved have learned to right the wrong and ask for forgiveness. It doesn’t mean we always agree but it does mean that even in our differences we can come together. It seems so easy, doesn’t it? Well, it isn’t, and we know this just by looking at the conflicts around the world. But for me I will continue to live, teach and honor dignity because I know what it has done for me. It has brought out the person in me that I knew I could be, and it has allowed me to begin to right the wrongs and appeciate the blessings I have been given.
My journey of dignity began long before I knew what dignity was. It began when a German American family of nine children treated a young inner-city kid like their tenth child even though I failed to appreciate what that meant. It began in December of 1984 when I was stranded in Dallas-Fort Worth airport and the employees fed me and a stranger helped pay my way home. It began when a son’s actions caused his mother pain but still, she was able to forgive and welcome me back home. It began when a tiny community college called Berkshire Community College took a young man who thought he had no hope and open the door to the possibility he could make a difference. It began in March of 2020 when my partners in dignity the Clinical Documentation Integrity team at Baystate trusted me as their leader and embraced dignity. They are the reason I have continued on my leadership and dignity journey. They are the reason I write this blog. They will always hold a special place in my heart. These and many other stories are what reminded me of the power of honoring dignity.
Every so often after I give a lecture on dignity someone will approach me days later and share a story with me. I cannot tell you what that means to me. I know that honoring dignity will change lives. It has for me. When people ask me about sensitivity training, I tell them it all comes down to honoring dignity.
I am not saying that you will not have challenges in life. There will be times when our dignity will be violated and that we will violate the dignity of others. I live on the belief that by holding strong to three connections of dignity we create an opportunity to face our challenges and hopefully weather the storms like Nelson Mandela did.
My prayers to all those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 