Our time is almost done…but there are still some things to do
For those of you that have been following this space for rather a while, this is going to involve a little bit of repetition. I have no way to be absolutely certain, but knowing me, I have shared this piece before, though perhaps not so much of the back story, for which I apologize. If you’ve seen the material at the end of the link below, you will remember it pretty quickly, so feel free to give it a pass, though I suspect that it’s meaning and impact have only grown in recent times, so, even if you “know” it, you might be inclined to revisit/share.
My fondest Christmas memory revolves around the telling of a story on Christmas Eve during my later teen years. There was an overnight DJ on a Boston radio station (euphemistically known as the Duke of Madness) who tended towards the extreme in his playlists, but on Christmas Eve, he would take time out from the “madness” to read the story of Barrington Bunny. I can still recall sitting in the kitchen of the home in which my formative years were formed (funny, that) with my mother. At this point, it would have been a few years after my dad passed away, which probably increased the poignancy of the story. I’m pretty sure that, for the duration of the telling, my mother refrained from smoking (she eventually quit, but this was “back in the day”), which speaks volumes to the mood set by the story. I can’t say how many Christmas Eves were spent this way, but there were at least a couple. I had heard the story told in church some time before this but hearing it in the context of a radio broadcast gave it an unexpected grace that has stayed with me for 40 or more years.
Fast-forward to the present day and it seems like grace is in shorter supply than any time that I can recall (I don’t go further back than 1960, so there are limits to my insight), so this seemed to be exactly the right note to play before I finish up blathering in this space.
And to that, please accept my fondest wishes for a most joyous and restful holiday season (whichever holiday or holidays you might be inclined to celebrate) and the promise of a New Year that surpasses all that have come before. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve; until next time!
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Chartis Group. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is an advisory board member for Accreditation and Quality Compliance Center. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.