Dear one –
(Yes, you, the one holding this paper;
the one in the scrubs or the white coat,
the one with the long list of tasks
and the endless needs of patients,
the one being rushed back to the phones
or to the cleaning cart
or the meal trays –
you!)
Listen.
You are brave. 
You came to work today,
even though you have children at home
or aging parents
or an at-risk partner
or friends you’re worried about.
You came to work today,
even though you don’t know
what you will encounter,
or if you’ll be safe,
or who will be here with you.
You came to work today.
You are brave.
It may not feel like it:
pounding heart, sweaty palms,
racing thoughts,
a feeling of dread.
I know.
But hear this:
You are brave.
Courage doesn’t mean not feeling fear.
It means feeling the fear,
and taking a breath,
and doing the next right thing anyway.
So, dear one:
Inhale.
Remember why you answered a call to this vocation:
to bring healing,
to bring comfort,
to nurture,
to sustain.
Now exhale.
Let the fear exist,
but make it drop the reins of your heart.
Breathe.
You are brave.
And we are so grateful you are here.
Written by the Rev. Heather M. Hinton
Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
Burlington, MA
March 18, 2020
Rev. Heather M. Hinton was called to serve Second Congregational Church in 2012. Educated at Harvard Divinity School and the University of Redlands, Heather has served in ordained ministry since 2001. She has served congregations in Brockton, MA and Marshfield, MA. Heather is also a Board Certified Chaplain (APC) and has been a chaplain at Lahey Hospital (Burlington, MA) since 2006.
