Will You Come Back Tomorrow? The Root of Service Is Passion and Love

by Shirley Gramajo

     Walking down the halls of the Crisis Stabilization Unit where I completed my internship were words that I imagined scrolling across the breaths of patients, such as “Why should I try?” or “Fix me.” When it was time to complete assessments or assist in running groups, some patients would refuse, and some would comply. Some others would whisper a cry of desperation and emptiness without speaking. I thought I had chosen the wrong path, because how was I going to help them?

     One day after group time was over, a patient came up to me and asked me, “Will you come back tomorrow?” I told her that I had class but would be back the following week. Then, she responded, “Oh man, okay. I love it when you do group.” The picture became clearer to me about what being a social worker meant. Helping patients is not just the action of serving them, but how the action is delivered and the condition of my heart. This is known as one of the social work core values, which is service.

     This value, to me, means to be available, present, and expect the unexpected. During my time as an intern, this value exhaled impatience, bitterness, and burnout, which then inhaled fulfillment, appreciation, and gratitude.

     Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” When it was time to pack up and go home, I found myself in a humbled position with the opportunity to dig within and find the root of this value, which is passion and love. I believe to serve others in excellence, we must first gracefully serve ourselves the same way we would with a patient, client, or co-worker, because this will create an overflow. This is how the value of service has been demonstrated in my life.

Shirley Gramajo is a student in the MSW program at Barry University. Shirley has a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies and has experience working in the medical and psychiatric fields.