My father was a man of many wise words; most of them were not his, but that didn’t matter.
These few have stayed with me as mementos of his way of life:
Give what cannot be taken
Maybe it’s the simplicity that I like. Or maybe it affirms my reluctance to judge a gift by its price tag. But the reason I am sharing it here is to help illustrate, however briefly, how nominating a fellow member for an OPA Special Award should be something everyone considers doing once.
We are fortunate to have association with such a number of gifted and inspiring colleagues. We are prone to forgetting how they too wrestle with the regular struggle of professional and personal life. Sadly, too many leaders – especially the informal ones – will surprisingly not recognize the admirable traits we naturally attribute to them.
Part of the reason is that we never tell them.
So what can you give that cannot be taken?
Praise
Admiration
Respect
Recognition
These gifts come to mind because these are what I felt on stage at the OPA Awards gala when I was honoured in 2018. At once embarrassing, the short moment I spent hearing what my peers thought of me was a gift that I could never have “taken”. And those are possibly the best gifts of all.
Do you have a colleague around you that deserves some acknowledgment?
Let’s start the giving season early.
By Liam Dessureault, PT, Eastern Ontario District President, Ontario Physiotherapy Association
