I wanted to write this letter to all of you to express my gratitude for everything you have given me during the years. I will not be seeing you for a while because I will soon be going on maternity leave.
It is all of you wonderful patients that I will miss the most from the ward. You have been the reason for me to keep coming to the work despite the difficulties I've had with some staff members. There were mornings when I wanted to hide under my blanket and not go to work but then I remembered one of you and got up with a smile on my face.
Everyday I had a chance to meet one of you lovely and friendly Saudis.
Some of you were very sick and depressed, yet you always had a smile to offer to me. I want to thank you for making my day so many times. I hope somehow I could have made your day brighter and given you hope through your stay at the hospital.
Thank you for showing me the Saudi hospitality, even if you were very poor, you still wanted to offer something to show your gratitude. And the countless times you offered me arabic coffee or tea, chocolates and dates and other special Saudi sweets. I enjoyed those moments chatting with your families, you made me feel welcome and accepted me for who I was. I am grateful for the times you invited me to sit down with you on the carpet you had placed on the floor and offered me to join you for dinner. Pardon me if I did not always have the time to join, I still appreciated the gesture.
Thank you for all the good laughs we have shared. You've showed me a sense of humor and understanding a joke is universal despite our cultural differences. You showed me Saudi people have a great sense of humor!
Thank you for teaching me about Islam and for all the books, Qurans and tapes you've given me. Especially for the ones in my own language which you managed to find!
Thank you for teaching me Arabic and being patient with me if I did not know the correct phrases.
Thank you for the invitations you made to your houses, farms and weddings and apologies for not being able to attend them all.
I've learned a great deal about the Saudi way of life because of you. I will be forever grateful to have had the chance to get to know you and help you.
You've showed me that all of us, men and women, whatever our religion or nationality, share the same hopes and dreams in our lives. Ultimately, we are all the same.
Illness brings out the same reactions in all humans everywhere in the world. You showed me your vulnerable side, the side often hidden from public eyes.
As this chapter in my life ends I wish you good health and all the best.
I will miss you and hope to return to my job someday!
Yours,
Laylah
7 comments:
That is the most sweet letter I've read. I'm so touched and really overwhelmed.
People like you, Princess Laylah, are always a delight to have around.
Hope you stay in Saudi forever. We need people like you.
I hope I can talk on behalf of all the patients, if not all Saudis, and say THANK YOU for you to come to the desert land and help in healing and make it better for those who needed it the most. For your merciful work and efforts and for your gratitude.
We feel humble by your kindness.
Wish you all the best and happiness in your life.
Sincerely yours,
Mohammed.
Salaam aleikum Mohammed!
Thank you for your kind words they really mean a great deal to me.
I hope inshallah I will be able to continue working in KSA :)
Laylah,
on behalf of all Saudis, you are most welcome here and forever .. i am really touched by those words, thank you for your work and efforts __
hope you enjoy ur time in ksa
Shatha
<3
Dear Laylah
thank you very much for taking care of all our ill patients in your hospital,u are definitely rewarded by allah before you are rewarded by your wage,nursing is never an easy job,comforting who is in pain is an noble task.
i really loved your post,its great to see appreciation from both sides of the spectrum.
i have one question though,do u think that you being finnish have triggered all these nice reactions around you,in other terms,do u think that nurses from other countries share your sentiments toward the patients,and are the patients treating them as same as they are treating you?
thank you for your passionate post again.
Karim
Hi Karim and thanks for your comment!
I have only notice it now, only a few months late :D
regarding your question, I think my nationality might have an initial impact on how the patient reacts. What I mean is the patient might have a certain perception of a Finnish nurse and would act accordingly when meeting her/him. However after the first impressions are over nurses, regardless of nationality, become more "human" and what matters most is the personality.
I must say that certain nationalities are more popular among the patients, but from my observations it has to do with communication skills and the level of empathy those nurses have.
Hope this answers the question and you see it someday :)
Dear Laylah,
I just became aware that up until 2010, you used to work as a nurse in Riyadh. This letter is so lovely. I wish I am able to say some of the same things to my patients when I exit the kingdom and go on with my life in India or elsewhere. You touched me with this post.
- Dr, Taher
http://drtaherofarabia.blogspot.com
I actually still worked in 2011 but not on the ward anymore due to my pregnancy!
I do miss the patients! Inshallah one day I might go back to nursing. Will see :)
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