Hercules — half man, half god. The strength of his father, Zeus, and the heart of his mortal mother Alcmene. A mythical hero, a Guardian for all that’s good. Ancient humans created these figures as a beacon of hope in moments of weakness and tribulation. Strength over weakness, an ancient evolutionary concept — survival of the fittest. Strength and weakness have infinite definitions, all relative to our individuals lives, careers, even cultures. Time proves, these words may be defined differently as your life evolves. We all have moments of weakness, often which can define who we are, or destroy us. How, as mere mortals, do we prevail in strength — or at least avoid perishing in weakness?

I began reading the “House of God” recently; a book that is notorious amongst the medical community as being a “must read” as a resident in training. The author writes of a medical resident’s struggles with life and death, in a cynical, and sadly hilarious, often negative way. I found myself relating much too often to the main character in the book, as I too have felt the burnout and exhaustion of medicine in my path to becoming a surgeon. The hardships we all face in our personal lives, are often overshadowed by having to remain professional, pretending we are unable to feel pain — as if we gave our souls to medicine and have become superhuman (I can assure you, we are not!). Doctors learn to care for other humans, and often place their own mental and physical health aside, but we are still human nonetheless! The culture of medicine has long required this, as any sign of weakness may mean you are not “fit” to handle experiencing and empathizing with pain, suffering and the mortality of patients. Last night, as I read through the first couple chapters, I thought to myself — is any human truly capable of such empathy and selflessness?

I believe we all are. I took this picture walking through a wat in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Awestruck by the sheer size of this majestic tree, I almost missed the statue that was directly in front of it. As I walked up to the statue, with the sun peering through the clouds onto the tree casting a massive shadow over the temple, thoughts of my own strength seemed to pale in comparison. But when I reached the position of this picture, I realized even a object of such massive proportions, growing for hundreds of years casting the same shadow over generations of humans, still needs a Guardian. The statue made me pause — it guarded this tree and silently, but effectively nonetheless, communicated a sense of strength and protection. Subtle and nonthreatening, the statue signaled a sense of peace. Still, hundreds of years after it’s creation, it remains protecting this splendor of Mother Nature. As I looked up once again to bask in it’s beauty, the vines leading up the thick trunk reminded me of our own bodies like green blood flowing through it’s arteries. I paused, as thoughts of how fragile life is began bouncing around in my mind. The incredible life of this tree, could end in a blink of an eye — in one moment of weakness. Just like the exposed neck of a warrior in full armor, this giant “beast” stands tall in strength, but also in weakness. Does that make you think of this tree any differently? Because it’s guardian stands in front as protector, does that make it any less beautiful or powerful?

Strength requires an ability to understand weakness. To understand weakness, one must experience being vulnerable, and welcome it. True strength comes when one learns to overcome their weaknesses. Periods of weakness will always exist in your life, but how you respond to these will define you. Often as physicians, we are faced with being the protector –the Guardian — that patients and their families need in moments of vulnerability, of weakness. I recently have been dealing with a significant family medical issue, and I can tell you, it is hard to not be the doctor, but instead be vulnerable. Surgical training has instilled the fear of weakness, and that fear IS weakness. But I am still human, am I not? We all need to remind ourselves of that daily. Allow Guardians into your life — let them protect you, lift you from the inevitable days this world will try to push you into darkness. Never underestimate the power of a “hand on a shoulder”, a simple intimate gesture of comfort — of strength. Be a Guardian, and be someone worthy of being guarded. Embrace periods of your life in which you rely on others for strength, and return the favor when the ones you love need the strength.

In joined hands there is still some token of hope; in the clenched fist none. — Victor Hugo