To my children,
You probably wonder what I do when I go off to work at the hospital. This letter is to help you understand. First and foremost, what I do is this: I think of you all day and night. Before I leave, I kiss and hug you whether you are awake or asleep. And then when this most important thing is done, I go off to the hospital with the smell of your skin on my hands, the look of your faces in my eyes and the sound of your breath in my ears.
I work for many reasons. I work to provide for you. To make sure you have food, clothing and toys. I work so that we can take vacations together, because we love those so much. I work so that we can have a nice home to live in together. I work so that your daddy can stay home with you and take care of all that you need when I am not there. And I work so that one day you can go off to college and find your own calling in life.
Work is very important and very noble. I go to work because it is my duty to you and our family. I can tell you, as important as my work is to our life, it's always hard to leave you behind. When you look at me with those eyes and hold out your hands for me, I want so very much to stay behind, to hold you, so find some way to be with you all day and night. That would be amazing! I wish I never had to kiss you on the cheek and slip out into the cold, dark night and leave you under the warm covers.
On the other hand, you need to see me work, so that you will understand when you are older the necessity and satisfaction of work well done. If I could work, but did not, and if I stayed home while taking money from others who did work, I would be ashamed. Ultimately, you would be ashamed of me as well.
So there you have it. That is why I work.
You must wonder, children, what I do when I work. Well, when I go to work I try to keep other people and their children safe. I go to work because people wreck their cars and bicycles. They fall down and break their bones. I go to work because young people get in fights and the bodies of old people wear down and don't work as well as they used to. And because people become sad and try to hurt themselves. There are many more reasons; these are just some of them.
Jack, Alice and Clara, I go to work because sick or injured people need to have their bodies fixed so that they can go home and be with their boys and girls. And if boys and girls are hurt, so that they can go home to their parents to play, laugh and love.
I spent lots of years in school to learn how to help people who come to me with sick or hurt bodies. I have skills to do thing to help them. I like knowing that the people I help have a chance to get better. Doing these things makes me very proud and I hope you are proud of me too. As proud of me as I am of you. (I spend lots of time talking about you to the people I work with and sometimes to my patients, too!)
You would think, that with a job like that, I'd always be happy! But you children are smart and you know that sometimes when I come home I am not happy. And I'm sorry about that. It is never because of you. You are my three delights. It's just that people can be very difficult. They hurt their bodies by smoking and drinking and eating too much. They sometimes don't take their medicines like they should. They sometimes speak badly to me and make my job more difficult.
But here is a secret I've learned: most of the time, when people are bad, its because they are lonely or scared or hurt. Or maybe their mommies or daddies weren't good to them and didn't teach them how to behave. So I have to be patient with the people for whom I care. Sometimes I am able to show some sad or mad person that at least once, someone was nice to them. I hope you'll learn to do that in your life. You and I have to do our best to act in love toward the people we meet at work, at home, at play or in school.
Sweeties, the world can be a scary place sometimes, for children and adults. My job is to make it a little less scary for people in the hospital which is a place where almost everyone is afraid.
When you are sick or hurt or sad or afraid, you come to me and we hug and talk and snuggle. I'm the person you expect to fix things for you. Maybe when I go to work and have to leave you, I am being a kind of mother for other people who really need one for a while. You are sharing me when I go to work. I hope that is OK with you.
But just remember this. No matter what, no matter how busy or tired I am, no matter where I am, be it at the hospital or at home, I love you with all of my heart and no one else is ever going to be more important to me that you, the three lights of my life.
Love always,
Mommy
You probably wonder what I do when I go off to work at the hospital. This letter is to help you understand. First and foremost, what I do is this: I think of you all day and night. Before I leave, I kiss and hug you whether you are awake or asleep. And then when this most important thing is done, I go off to the hospital with the smell of your skin on my hands, the look of your faces in my eyes and the sound of your breath in my ears.
I work for many reasons. I work to provide for you. To make sure you have food, clothing and toys. I work so that we can take vacations together, because we love those so much. I work so that we can have a nice home to live in together. I work so that your daddy can stay home with you and take care of all that you need when I am not there. And I work so that one day you can go off to college and find your own calling in life.
Work is very important and very noble. I go to work because it is my duty to you and our family. I can tell you, as important as my work is to our life, it's always hard to leave you behind. When you look at me with those eyes and hold out your hands for me, I want so very much to stay behind, to hold you, so find some way to be with you all day and night. That would be amazing! I wish I never had to kiss you on the cheek and slip out into the cold, dark night and leave you under the warm covers.
On the other hand, you need to see me work, so that you will understand when you are older the necessity and satisfaction of work well done. If I could work, but did not, and if I stayed home while taking money from others who did work, I would be ashamed. Ultimately, you would be ashamed of me as well.
So there you have it. That is why I work.
You must wonder, children, what I do when I work. Well, when I go to work I try to keep other people and their children safe. I go to work because people wreck their cars and bicycles. They fall down and break their bones. I go to work because young people get in fights and the bodies of old people wear down and don't work as well as they used to. And because people become sad and try to hurt themselves. There are many more reasons; these are just some of them.
Jack, Alice and Clara, I go to work because sick or injured people need to have their bodies fixed so that they can go home and be with their boys and girls. And if boys and girls are hurt, so that they can go home to their parents to play, laugh and love.
I spent lots of years in school to learn how to help people who come to me with sick or hurt bodies. I have skills to do thing to help them. I like knowing that the people I help have a chance to get better. Doing these things makes me very proud and I hope you are proud of me too. As proud of me as I am of you. (I spend lots of time talking about you to the people I work with and sometimes to my patients, too!)
You would think, that with a job like that, I'd always be happy! But you children are smart and you know that sometimes when I come home I am not happy. And I'm sorry about that. It is never because of you. You are my three delights. It's just that people can be very difficult. They hurt their bodies by smoking and drinking and eating too much. They sometimes don't take their medicines like they should. They sometimes speak badly to me and make my job more difficult.
But here is a secret I've learned: most of the time, when people are bad, its because they are lonely or scared or hurt. Or maybe their mommies or daddies weren't good to them and didn't teach them how to behave. So I have to be patient with the people for whom I care. Sometimes I am able to show some sad or mad person that at least once, someone was nice to them. I hope you'll learn to do that in your life. You and I have to do our best to act in love toward the people we meet at work, at home, at play or in school.
Sweeties, the world can be a scary place sometimes, for children and adults. My job is to make it a little less scary for people in the hospital which is a place where almost everyone is afraid.
When you are sick or hurt or sad or afraid, you come to me and we hug and talk and snuggle. I'm the person you expect to fix things for you. Maybe when I go to work and have to leave you, I am being a kind of mother for other people who really need one for a while. You are sharing me when I go to work. I hope that is OK with you.
But just remember this. No matter what, no matter how busy or tired I am, no matter where I am, be it at the hospital or at home, I love you with all of my heart and no one else is ever going to be more important to me that you, the three lights of my life.
Love always,
Mommy
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