WELLNESS

Sisters and Brothers, Inspiration and Wellbeing

Several years ago, my brother John and I realized that once we hit adulthood, we no longer spent any time alone together. We live on opposite coasts. When we see each other at family events, there are many other O’Gradys around, leaving no time to talk more deeply about our shared childhood, dreams, and concerns. So, we decided to take time from our respective families and careers for a sister-brother weekend. By Eileen T. O’Grady, PhD, RN, NP

In January 2017, we met in California for a “Weekend with David Whyte.” As a poet, Whyte helps corporations have more soul. On the first day, John and I randomly sat at a big table for breakfast with a friendly guy named Eugene from South Africa. Eugene found it inspiring that John and I were brother and sister having a weekend together. He told us that he planned to ask his sister — whom he adored but rarely got to see — to take a similar trip when he returned home.

Two years later, a colleague and I were writing a book about how to put the CARE back into health care. We brought on a third author, a nursing professor, Minette from the University of Cape Town who knew a lot about caring science. We started holding monthly online meetings to keep the book moving.

Not long ago, Minette asked if I would host a webinar on Extreme Self Care for

Extreme Times to the Sub-Saharan African nations pediatric nursing faculty. During the webinar, Minette noticed a slide I had that referred to David Whyte. She was also familiar with David Whyte, although she and I had not discussed him or his work. Minette ended up taking a screenshot of the David Whyte slide and sent it to her brother, who had introduced her to Whyte’s work. Minette’s brother then sent her a message to call him. It turns out that Minette’s brother happens to be Eugene, the man my brother and I had inspired to go on a sister-brother weekend back in January of 2017. Eugene had seen my name on the screenshot of the slide, tracked me down online, and made the connection!

And, so it goes, Minette and Eugene are sister and brother. By some

“There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

– Nelson Mandela

incredible coincidence, I had met my colleague’s brother years before I met her. Inspired by my brother and me, they too had taken a trip together, theirs to Barcelona. There are 60 million people in South Africa and 330 million in the United States—how could such a surreal, extraordinary connection come to be? I believe it happened because we followed our hearts and did something very important to us. I believe that when we do what we are passionate about,

we inspire others to do it too, and we draw more people hungry for similar experiences toward us.

You never know who will be inspired and the strange ways good ideas are spread. Where attention goes, energy flows! If there is someone in your life you want to connect with more deeply, do it! If travel isn’t possible, a little imagination and a good amount of time dedicated to a virtual meeting can go a long way toward inspiring and sustaining connection.