the little things

last night at work, "the little things in life" was epitomized.

let me begin by prefacing that in my line of duty as a nurse on a perinatal unit, all attempts at modesty are, well, thrown out the window.

my patient had just delivered a beautiful baby boy. first baby! so exciting! such a milestone!  and three weeks early. i've learned through my patients that unexpected deliveries equate to anxiety - not feeling prepared because diapers haven't been bought, a nursery hasn't been furnished, a name hasn't been chosen. however, this patient was different. for her, "three weeks early" meant "no time for adequate grooming."

there i was, checking her vaginal bleeding, manually expressing milk from her breasts, massaging her uterus. in layman's terms, i was up in her space. but all this patient could think about was how embarrassed she felt for not shaving her legs, for not getting a pedicure, and for not grooming "down there."

this had me thinking about the little things - the things that make a huge difference. for this patient, it wasn't all about the new bundle of joy in her arms. nor was it about this nurse all up in her space. instead, it was her hygiene that mattered. that little thing, hygiene. i'm not sure i really understand the prioritization here, but who can judge how someone interprets the little things in life?

she might think just the same if she knew how important a daily treat is to me :)