Now that you’re famous… Now what?
One of the great things about winning a Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award is that you may have a platform from which to talk about issues that matter most. We asked some of our most recent winners what issues they would like to talk about – and here are their answers. We will add other winners and answers to this section – so check back regularly!
Jessica Estep, RN – 2011 National Winner
“An issue that is close to me is care of the elderly. I have taken care of some elderly people who have taken me by the hand, looked into my eyes, and told me how scared and alone they feel. I have found that presence and talking can be a temporary comfort but I’m left wishing I could do more. With hard economic times and an uncertain future, I feel it is important that we stay as close as we can to our families, friends, loved ones. Care for others. Giving is better than receiving. Remember that there is someone else who is either in the same or a much worse situation than you. Sometimes that may be difficult…but bottom line, remain thankful.
Carolyn Green, MA, BSN, RN, LRC(s), BC – 2011 Grand Prize Winner
“I would like people to know that being homeless is not by choice and that having circumstances in your life and sometimes making bad choices does not make you a lesser person. Everyone has the right to be accepted, loved, and respected no matter what situation they are in. I also would like to remove the stigma related to mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Those who suffer from these illnesses are individuals with hopes and dreams just like everyone else. They should not be looked down upon and thought to be second-class citizens. Also people who have felony convictions in their past deserve to have a second chance at life. It is so difficult for them to find jobs and get back to being productive members of society, and that is their desire.”
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Ardis Bush said:
Both of the narratives above are consistent with what I believe about others. We know where we are at the present but we don’t know where we may end up in this life. It is so easy to criticize others but it is not so easy for many of us to put ourselves in the place of others who are experiencing difficult times. If we put love first in everything that we do, no matter what others are going through instead of criticizing we will learn to be empathizing. It is difficult giving up your independence to advancing age or hard economic times but it does happen and for most of us it would not be easy. It’s not difficult to look back over our own lives and realize that all of the choices we made were not always the best ones. Therefore, it is important that we recognize that we have all fallen short in one way or the other and we should avoid being so quick to judge. Extending a kind word, a helping hand or a compassionate heart can make someone’s circumstance seem a little lighter and their outlook a little brighter. And as we ourselves walk through this life we must remember it is only a test and no matter how hard we try, every grade that we make will not always be an “A.”
(Editor’s Note: Ardis Bush, MSN, MS, RN, CMSRN, NE-BC, was a Grand Prize Winner in the inaugural 2003 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award. Read more at http://inspiredcomfort.com/2003/index.php?ica=2003&page=bush)
Apr 04, 2012