'I learned a lesson in gratitude today' - a mum's unique spin on her motherhood journey

Out running errands, Rasha Rushdy, had a spirit of the moment thought. 

The mum-of-two was going to visit a nurse, but not just any nurse, the one who had left an imprint on her heart. 

The lawyer turned writer, admits there was a period in her life when she had medical issues, some which she thought were more serious at the time, but it was nothing major.

"At the time, I remember thinking that something was seriously wrong, and being more afraid than I have ever been in my life."

"During this ordeal, this particular nurse was everything a nurse should be. She was warm, gentle, reassuring and went above and beyond to keep me and my husband calm, to help entertain our very young children," added the mum.

While Rasha remembers little moments that stood out about the nurse, she is constantly reminded about how she never got the chance to thank this special nurse for her kindness and compassion. 

"I had been hauling over 30 kilos of children in a double stroller all day, totally drained and ready to go home, when I noticed that we were just around the corner from the doctor's office where this lovely nurse worked."

"I thought to myself, you know what – I might just pop in and say hi. It'll be so nice!"

Walking with her kids towards the doctor's office, Mum knew it would be busy, but she pondered, believing the reunion would be perfect and her saviour nurse would be over the moon to see Rasha's family again. 

However, the day didn't pan out exactly how Rasha imagined it was going to go, in fact things got a small bit embarrassing for Mum when she realised her kind nurse didn't remember who she was, asking for her name to try and collect some memories. 

Rasha explained: "I felt a little foolish at first. Here I was, ready to hug this woman who crosses my mind often, this woman who I remember as a shining light during one of the most terrifying experiences of my life."

Mum was about to back out of her intended display of emotion as the scenario 'wasn't good for her ego', but something tugged at her, telling her to go ahead with her original plans.

"So I thanked her. I really, really, thanked her. I told her how her kindness, her compassion, and her gentleness was something I could never forget – how she was someone I would never forget."

"Her eyes glistened with tears and she hugged me."

While the nurse had just assumed she was doing her job at the time, she had no idea the impact she had made on one woman, and her family.

"For me, she was a key person, a key source of positivity and strength, during a time of fear and crisis," writes Rasha. 

Rasha has always been grateful for what she has, a beautiful home with an amazing family, but what she learned that day was more about how you show your gratitude to the world. 

"I learned that gratitude is more than being grateful for what we have. It's more than being mindful of all the ways in which we're fortunate. The other side of gratitude, I think, is that we need to show it to those who have enriched our lives."

On this day, the mum-of-two showed a nurse who was doing her job, how grateful she was for her compassion in a time of crisis for her family, and Rasha is thankful she didn't allow her ego step in the way of the beautiful moment. 

"We need to tell people, whether they're in our lives every single day, or only for a tiny portion of it, that we are grateful for them. Because maybe, something that was ordinary, or routine, or nothing for one person, was absolutely everything to someone else."