Honoring Important ‘Helpers’ During Occupational Therapy Month

It’s seemingly become the norm that, whenever a major tragedy occurs in some part of the world, the social media machine cranks out various memes that feature a now-popular quote meant to give people comfort.

It’s a line credited to the late Fred Rogers, and I know you’ve seen it before. It’s shared to remind people that even when something bad happens – when a truly terrible event occurs that perhaps makes you scared of what’s next – the spirit of humanity remains strong.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers,’” he said. “’You will always find people who are helping.’”

What’s interesting about this quote is that it isn’t suggesting passivity. It’s not asking you to “see” or to “notice” the helpers. It’s suggesting you make an effort – that you actually take the time to “look for” the people who are truly making a difference.

In other words, when times are tough, it’s on you to focus on the positivity around you. It’s on you to find these special people and honor them in your own way.

It’s in this spirit that we at Net Health would like to recognize a group of people who we see as true helpers in our world – people who step in when the chips are down to help individuals reclaim their lives during and after injury, illness or disability.

On this first day of Occupational Therapy Month, we would like to honor all occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) who make such a difference in people’s lives physically, physiologically, emotionally and socially.

They do this by working with patients of all ages and abilities to achieve their functional goals; function at the highest levels possible; concentrate on what matters most to them; maintain or rebuild their independence; and participate in everyday life activities.

You see, not all tragedies are in the news. Yet, every one of them is personal and affects the lives of people in ways that are both unique and personal.

For those who are affected in a functional way, occupational therapists are there to help them develop, recover, improve and maintain not just the skills they need for daily living, but the skills they need to make life worth living.

Because of this, we at Net Health would like to honor each and every OT and OTA for doing what you do to make this world a better place, one person at a time. Thank you for showing us, and your patients, that the spirit of humanity indeed remains strong.