In my busy medical practice today I listened to several women’s hearts, but there were three that still beat with mine.
One beautiful heart belonged to a retired college professor about 70. I had hoped Nina wouldn't schedule the biopsy before Christmas, but she wouldn't wait. Not wishing to waste a moment, she called the office for the tissue results. I told her she did indeed have breast cancer. This was two days before Christmas, two days before her family arrived. She told me: "I'm not going to tell the children until after Christmas. I want them to have a happy Christmas.” She embraced her cross with untold feminine motherly courage and faith.
A second dear lady in her mid 60's, self described note read: “Atheist. Here to establish care." “I’ve heard about you,” she told me. Her list of medications was quite long. She was very pleasant and laughter came easily. She had much to teach me, too.
A third dear dear lady was in her 80's.
She spoke softly. ”I'm here because my oldest son says I have to get checked out. I have this bulge here, you see,” patting her distended tummy. The elderly patient continued to tell me that just discovered 6 weeks ago, her youngest (42 year old) son has only weeks to live due to a new widely metastatic cancer diagnosis. He is now bedridden in her home receiving hospice care while he waits to die. Her mother's heart was not only broken, but crushed. The 80 year old widow's heart of "faith, hope and love" was challenged again with the tragic news regarding the failing health of her baby son. As I examined her, auscultated her heart and tapped the extent of the abdominal tumor, a big tear drop fell from her eye splashing right onto my stethoscope placed over her chest wall. I stopped and instinctively touched the tear, turned the sacred drop over between my thumb and first finger, then looked at her beautiful face and wiped her cheeks with the palm of my hand as she continued to wimper silent tears.
The first one planned, the second one laughed, the third one sighed and cried, big tears.
As for me, I will always carry the precious memory of one big tear drop on my stethoscope. It landed in slow motion as I assessed the height, width, breadth, and depth of her large abdominal tumor. With my stethoscope I listened to the width, depth, and love of her broken heart. A mother's love for her son has no limits.
I have been given a deep love and awe for the sacred mystery of the human heart. I can not adequately approach the whole beauty of the human person. One patient's exquisite suffering while she watched her son accept the nearness of death is love like no other I've seen.
I think it is quite accurate that "suffering unleashes love." (St. John Paul 2) If we could harness the immeasurable energy of the human heart!! Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ, priest and paleontologist said: “The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.” ("The Evolution of Chastity," in Toward the Future, 1936, XI, 86-87)
Come Holy Spirit, Come! Fill the hearts of the faithful. Enkindle in our hearts the fire of Your love, and we shall renew the face of the earth.
One day at a time, Sweet Jesus, One day.
#LiveSMOL
