The grateful heart

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

~ Seneca saying

A patient just dropped off a huge platter for dry ribs and garlic toast tonight. The night shift is often overlooked as patients usually visit during the day and the day staff often hear the thanks and reap the tasty rewards. It is always touching when past patients remember the night workers.
I often find myself wondering what sort of difference I actually make in a patient's life. Am I helpful, do I improve the quality of their stay? I know that many of my patients have touched my life in deep and thought-provoking ways...they are not merely faces to me.
Gestures such as the one tonight reassure me that I am not merely a face either.