a lesson learned

It has been a stressful week for me. I was working for 4 straight days and the pediatric ward was full. We had two admissions of typhoid fever, an 11 year old admitted with dengue stage 3 and newborn with intracranial bleeding. It was the busiest working week for us at pedia ward. It was very tiring and when i get home from work, all i want to do is sleep. So on my 3rd day at work i was already in bad mood. I easily snapped out my moods and complain alot when medicines and syringes are not available.I was so mad at the parents for not buying the prescribed medicines. Plus our admissions kept coming. I was already tired and weary and i was beginning to lose my temper. An hour before my shift ends we had another admission. A 9 month old baby boy, who is underweight severely dehydrated. The baby had been vomiting for 4 days and had watery stools for 5 days. The parents were really poor. The clothes were tattered and torn with only 20 pesos on the pocket. They were from laguindingan and the father is a farmer. I felt pity and so sorry for them but i was too preoccupied in finishing my work on time that i got so irritated that i could not give the medicines prescribed immediately because they had not bought any of the meds. I said to myself " how can their child recover from their sickness if they fail to buy any of those medicines". Earlier today during my 7-3pm shift, i was in bad mood. No medincines, no syringes as always. I reprimanded each of the parents about the medicines. I was kinda rude and not sympathetic to them at all. But after lunch an incident happened that changed my moods. After lunch, i stood at the pedia ward station facing the glass window at the pediatric ward. My attention caught at this lady who was eating. Whe she saw me looking at her, she smiled and nod and offered me to eat. I just waved my hand to say it's ok. I was so ashamed for the way i acted towards her. The lady who invited me to eat was the mother of the 9 month old baby boy from laguindingan. Her gesture made me realize how judgmental i have been to them. She who had less still managed to invite me for lunch. Despite of not having the money and luxury in life, they managed to share and offer of what they have. I was so touched. With that simplle gesture a lesson was learned.