The Resiliency of the Human Spirit

by Nicole Adelman, MSS, LSW

     How do you do that work? Said by most people when learning I've spent the greater part of my career in hospice and palliative care. I answer with my Why. It's raw humanity. To sit in a place of vulnerability with someone who is sick or dying is to witness peace and chaos, dysfunction and despair, humility and strength, beauty and pain. It sounds incredibly cliché, but it's an honor and a privilege to be in someone's home, their private space, during such a difficult time. The Why is powerful and the only reason I can give. 

     I have seen the best and the worst of human behavior. The scary, the extreme, the hilarious. Folks who get knocked down and get back up. The psychology of it intrigues me. The sociologist in me wants to know more. But my time is limited with the folks I see. Much is left unknown, and I often think, "I wonder what happened to...." Almost 19 years after starting my career, I'm in awe of the resiliency of the human spirit.

     I'm weary sometimes. Poverty, bureaucracy, mental illness. It becomes too much. Resources are limited. There's never enough time. Then I walk into someone's home and, in the moment of connection, I can focus my efforts on the person or family in front of me. I'm grateful they have allowed me into their space. Through all the muck, pain and chaos, dysfunction and despair, there is beauty, strength, humility, and peace. I remain in awe of the resilient human spirit. 

Nicole Adelman, MSS, LSW, is a medical social worker.