Tuesday, October 17, 2006
The little things.
My job as a speech therapist finds me doing things on a daily basis that must be listed in fine print on the job description. I never knew I would be leading arm exercises, pushing wheelchairs behind people who never thought they would walk again, putting 60 cents into a pop machine for someone who can't do it on their own (knowing that drinking that soda might be the highlight of their day), singing songs I didn't realize I even knew the words to and various other tasks not listed under "speech-language and/or swallowing." Today I found myself making earrings out of what were most certainly the tiniest beads in the world. We sat for about 45 minutes making small talk while discussing different designs and colors that would make the best combination for a beautiful set of earrings. We came up with two designs and by using mini-pliers and mini-cutters we accomplished our goal. At the end of the session I told the resident that the earring were hers. The smile that came next was priceless. A simple reminder that its always a good idea to read the fine print because it truly is the little things in life that make all the difference.
