"It is what it is."

I have a really bad habit of wanting to take broken pieces and fix them immediately. Maybe that is why I love nursing, because it's the profession of taking care of, fixing, and making people feel better. Truth is, not every thing that appears broken is, and even if it were, sometimes it doesn't need to be fixed. 

I especially do this in my personal life. I like harmony, and when the littlest ripple is created, in my otherwise peaceful state of mind, I instantly begin looking for resolution. 

I had a patient this Tuesday who was scheduled for a below the knee amputation that afternoon.  It was cancelled last minute because he wasn't stable enough to handle the surgery.  

It was such a cliche and simple quote, but one that I give credit to in helping me with some recent disappointments. 

I went into his room to turn him, and he immediately smiled at me.  I was surprised because for most of the day he was sleeping. When he wasn't asleep, he was short with his words, answering only my questions.  I asked him how he was feeling and he said "ok." I then asked him if he was disappointed that his surgery was cancelled. He replied with, "It is what it is. I'm going to get it eventually, whether it be today, tomorrow, or a week from now." 

I smiled back at him and asked if he cared if I stayed a while to chat.  He didn't object, so I stayed and we talked for the next 20 minutes about fishing. I know our chat was more beneficial to me than it was to him. 

Sometimes situations are what they are, nothing more, nothing less.  Sometimes there is nothing we can do to immediately fix things to be the way we think they should be and sometimes time is all that is required for things to work themselves out. 

Until that time, it's better to focus on and talk about things that make you happy...like bass fishing in the summertime on the sand bar.  <3