This week I attended a pre-op hospital appointment with my mum.
As usual, everyone we came into contact with was helpful, kind and reassuring.
The thing that strikes me every time I visit the Royal Berkshire Hospital is the kindness in the corridors.
The minute we stop to get our bearings or work out which department we need, a member of hospital staff will invariably stop and ask if we need directions. They are presumably either on a break or on the way to do something important related to their job, but they always take time to stop and help.
This got me thinking about kindness and illness in general.
At Time for Kindness we get sent a lot of stories in this area. For example:
• The nurse who stayed past the end of her shift to help a patient who took longer than expected to be ready to leave the day unit after a minor procedure on her ear.
• We heard from someone who sprained their ankle and when their friend heard about it, they came round with an ice-pack, sorted out a meal and did the washing up.
• Another person told us about coming across a person in the street who looked breathless and very unwell. It turned out that they had low blood pressure as a result of a recent illness and had overdone it while walking their dog.
So the kind stranger walked with them and their dog to make sure that they got home safely.
We also receive stories of kindness that are not specifically to do with illness, but are in a healthcare setting, such as:
• People giving blood at their local blood donor centre, often multiple times.
• The free period products in the bathroom at an autism assessment centre – a simple way to show thoughtfulness and consideration for people on a difficult day.
• A healthcare team leader who bought a chocolate cheesecake to say thank you to a colleague who was moving to work at a different site.
We all know that feeling unwell is miserable. Whether you have a head cold or something more serious, feeling sorry for yourself is often part of the process (even if only for a short while). So receiving kindness can make a big difference.
Sometimes that kindness comes from our family and friends, people we might ‘expect’ to help out. At other times – particularly for more serious illnesses – kindness can come from more unexpected quarters.
A close friend of mine was seriously ill last year and told me “We’ve had neighbours we barely know cooking us meals, kind words and thoughts every day, from very unexpected people too. The love is real and it has made a vast difference.”
Wherever the kindness comes from, the feeling of love and support can really help with recovery.
How have you shown kindness to a friend, family member or stranger who is unwell? And how have they looked after you when you’ve been under the weather?
Sarah Browning is a Kindness Cheerleader, Communicator and Strategist. For more inspiring stories of kindness, visit: www.timeforkindness.co.uk
