The other day a nurse from a separate area came by and reported she had completed the phone calls for surgical patients coming in the following morning.
I expressed my appreciation with enthusiasm. We’d had one of those ‘back to back patients’ days and it was great to know that task was done.
Her response dampened my spirits.
” Hey, you do stuff for me, so I do stuff for you. That’s how it works.”
I reflected on this the way home.
rec·i·proc·i·ty /ˌresəˈpräsədē/
- the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to another.
This creeps me out. Am I the Pollyanna I keep refusing to be called? Can’t people do things because it’s right to do them? Or simply because it’s a task needing to be done. Maybe because helping others feels good – Yep, I said it. It feels good.
And, I’m mature enough to realize that if I’m doing stuff for someone over and over and there a trend of what is starting to feel like a one way street, I need to come to terms with what is underneath my repetitive action( and I’m not talking about things like sponsoring a child in foster care).
I know what co- dependency is.
I decided to not let this take up any more space in my brain. I came to the realization my peer was just calling a spade a spade. And, that the next time she needs some help with something, I better say yes 😂
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