Folding the towels

I think about this every time I fold towels and sheets.

One of my many jobs I had when I was going to college was as a Christian Science nurse's aide. A Christian Science nurse is one who takes proper care of the sick while that patient is receiving Christian Science treatment ( specific healing through prayer). My job as an aide was, of course, to help the nurse and to assist by keeping the patient's room orderly as well as other similar duties.

During our training, I actually loved the approach to everyday tasks. Everything we did, from giving a thermos of cold water, to making a bed was done being mindful of the spiritual qualities that were being expressed.

For example: The thermos of cold water - the spiritual qualities behind that service were to make available fresh, clear and rejuvenating ideas; Making the bed - the qualites here included the grace and balance and unobtrusiveness of the movement of making the bed, to the qualities of restfulness, comfort, warmth, safety and peacefulness for the one for whom the bed was made.

Every staff member was involved in this effort: the nursing staff ( of course), the kitchen, maintenance, administrative staff and the laundry staff. Folding towels and sheets were done with the qualities of efficiency and accuracy, cleanliness and orderliness. These items were folded in such a way that the nurse would be able to make a bed or supply a bathroom quickly and unobtrusively - able to support the patient's main focus on their treatment - and not the interruptions and superfluous actions in the sick room.

The results of this? Later, when I was adminstrator of this facility, I would hear of visitors and the occasional sales person and medical professional comment on the tangible sense of peace and vitality they felt while they were at the facility. One social worker, who was in to interview a patient, took me aside and said - "If I ever need to go somewhere for help, I want to come here! You treat your people with such respect!"

Another woman was visiting her friend who was a patient. This woman was, by profession, a physical therapist. She took me aside and said how almost incredulous she was at the beautiful care her friend was being given. "You simply bathe her in spirituality!"

Another sales person needed to come in for two consecutive days. On her second day, she asked, "What is it about this place!? I came in here yesterday with a day long headache that immediately disappeared when I left!"

The commitment that all of the staff had to expect healing for each of our patients and to provide a healing mental environment to support their healings benefitted everyone who came in the doors.

Now that my husband and I have switched roles and he is the primary breadwinner and I am the primary caregiver, I am the one in charge of laundry. I fold our kids' clothes, our clothes, our bed linens and towels. It's my time to be grateful and to think of how surrounded we are by such spiritual qualities of comfort, protection, investigation, beauty and activity. It's my time to support our vibrant healing mental environment of home.


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