18 August 2011, was the day I celebrated all my sweat, tears and joys together with my companions on the journey (a lay Catholic and a Buddhist student). This 10 weeks journey is the highlight of my Pre-novitiate formation so far. It sums up all that I have been working on towards my growth and put them into practice, and even more. In short, this is an ALL-in-ONE programme.
I never ever thought that I would involve myself in a hospital settings and I really like it very much. The hospital is indeed a ‘House of Stories’, which is the theme of my graduation. In there, there are many lives and each has a unique story. Please allow me to share 3 stories with you.
A diabetic, Buddhist patient who had an infected leg due of a fall. Her treatment was being delayed by another hospital and she decided to ‘run away’ to Assunta Hospital. She was crying in pain and frightened of amputation. She remembered that Mother Mary had help her when she was a poor child and cried to Mother Mary. Thank God, the doctors are able to save her leg. A patient, who loves drawing, never tried drawing human portrait because it’s too painful. It will remind him of the death of both his wife and his 15 yr old daughter. He was being challenged to draw. Will this help him to let go of his pain? I don’t know. Nevertheless, he did it, even though he wasn’t satisfied with his drawing.
There’s another sick patient, those life has been transformed & enriched by many in the hospital and her ‘house’ where she lives. She’s a person with very low self-esteem & confidence. Such a person can hardly love herself and others, and carries a lot of baggage. She’s now a freer person and more confident person sim ply because her patient’s stories are hers, their pains are also hers and their search for meaning in life is also hers. When she minister to them, they ministered back to her.
This is a house of transformation. Like it or not, anyone who enters this house, gets their lives transformed. Some found their faith back, many through the expertise of the doctors and nurses found their health back. Many watched their love ones suffer in pain and began to question about life. Some found a new way of living, others departe d. As long as there are some contact with the patients here, life can never be the same.
During my 10 weeks journey here, I have witnessed many lives being transformed. This is a Hospital for the sick and we are all sick people in some ways.
