Portraits of the Rogers inspire essay contestant

07/06/17 05:29:pm

Byron Beams, Therapeutic Specialist, Adolescent Inpatient, Oconomowoc, won second place in the 110th Anniversary Essay Contest. Here is his essay:

Arthur and Theresa Rogers were visionaries, years ahead of their time. If they could see what they had started (and who is to argue that they can’t?), 100 years later I think they would be beyond words.

When I first walked through the door almost 25 years ago (with a total census of 52) the first thing that caught my eye was the two portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and they are still in the same place. The gentleness and compassion that was captured within their eyes had a significant impact on me. Their vision appeared to say, “Those that are experiencing pain and suffering can be helped with the care of those who are willing and able to do so.”

Somehow I felt connected with the mission and vision to use and share my gifts to help alleviate the emotional suffering of my fellow human beings. When I think of Arthur and Theresa I think that their vision is played out through me and all of the other dedicated and truly gifted professionals that I am privileged to work with. Because Rogers has been such a significant part of my life and vision over the last 25 years, I believe that it has helped define the way that I describe HOPE. Hope is powerful medicine. It gives people the strength to care, to heal, to persevere through their most desperate times. Most importantly, it gives them the strength to believe that their suffering will be relieved. Our compassion drives us to actively seek out one that is suffering and use our gifts to ease their pain.

There are no words that can describe the softening of someone’s eyes and the smile of gratitude that emerges on the face when their pain and suffering has been eased. This is something that must be experienced to be fully appreciated and understood.

This is how I describe my interpretation of their vision.

I firmly believe that all of those people who are actively using their gifts to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings and giving them hope are carrying forward the vision of Arthur and Theresa Rodgers.

We are conduits that something far greater than ourselves funnels through.