There are many aspects of my job that I treasure. I feel a great deal of responsibility for all the people I treat. I see a myriad of different patients with different health conditions, but I am the most touched and moved by my elderly patients, who tap into a very deep well of compassion in me. When elderly patients give me their time–for their time might be the most precious, the most limited–I am honored. Listening to an elder recite the aches, pains, diseases, or the progression of an infirmity is not easy, yet the listing of the losses, the sadnesses, the joys, and the triumphs becomes a representation of a lifetime of experiences.
As I take their wrists in hand to check their pulses as we do in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), I look deep into their eyes. I notice the thinning skin, the bulging blue veins, the age spots, perhaps a cataract or two. I notice the warmth or coolness of the skin. I always feel that this time is a blessing. How often do older people get the benefit of this kind of touch, attention, and interaction? They all have stories, they all have fascinating lives. What is our history was once was their present and now time has slipped by, seemingly quickly for them.
Some people have rich lives with family, some don’t. Others can’t even speak or move because of the ravages of certain illnesses or conditions. Each and every one of them gets my full attention and time. These sweet souls won’t be around forever. Facing the inevitable, some have tremendous fears while others are ready for what may come. These people grew up–not all that long ago–in world we’d hardly recognize: no cell phones, no internet, no social media. We should soak up the stories of this recent past, so that we have perspective on our own lives.
As I massage their hands, I think “these hands have had so many experiences. They have held onto people who are now gone, but who made a impression on their lives, on their skin. The soul occupying this aged body is precious. This mind has a lifetime of stories and memories.” I examine my hands and acknowledge some telltale signifiers of age, a wrinkle here, a blue vein there, perhaps a few scattered age spots. I am grateful for all I have been given and hope I can live a long healthy life of peace and gratitude. And when I am, myself, one of these beautiful older people, I hope younger folks value my experience and the vast array of fun and exciting stories I will have to tell.
Contributor
Acupuncturist, herbalist, Maya abdominal practitioner, and reflexologist Christina Morris is the founder of Element Natural Healing Arts. Writing about health and wellness gives her an outlet to express her care and concern for her beloved community. She believes everyone can achieve better health and happiness–emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.