Good morning from Al Ain!! Today I created a blend of Ethiopian, Honduran, and Kenyan coffee. The Honduran was a lighter roast. The Kenyan beans were roasted to a very dark espresso. The Ethiopian beans added a bold, moderate roast. Together, each of the differences joined to form a very nice blend. Coffee junkies often will describe coffees in the same terms as wine aficionados. You read and hear descriptions of ‘fresh nutty, mountain fresh, fruity, berry, robust, complex,’ flavors. I am not sure my palate is able to make that many subtle distinctions; I just enjoy the differences. After all it is still coffee.

As I walked around the hospital and clinics this week I was struck by the skills and friendliness of an almost unseen group of individuals—the cleaners. Oasis Hospital and the clinics are always sparkling clean. People wander the grounds gathering the trash that people so casually toss in this country. My trash is emptied and checked several times each day. If we put on a plaster cast and make a mess (Fiberglas is so much neater), someone insists on mopping the whole room before going on.

But you know it is not just the work these men and women do. I find their attitude very refreshing. When I walk around the campus, I greet the workers and receive a huge smile. I watch them work when they think they are alone, and they still do their work with industry and pride.

As you walk into any facility, the first impressions are usually visual and olfactory. Enter a building and seeing papers over the floors and everything in disarray, I immediately wonder if they treat all their work this same way. Entering a hospital or nursing facility, smells are often the most telling. Does the place smell of urine or some foul odor? Do the floors look dingy or stained? Are the patients looking well cared for? In a restaurant, you consider whether the place looks clean. Does the staff act like they wish to assist? I admit I have eaten at a few restaurants where I wondered if I should take a Ciprofloxacin (antibiotic) chaser to follow the meal.

I realize that quality goes much deeper than merely the outside looks and smells, but true quality ensures all aspects are dealt with carefully. You can have a pretty façade and fool some people for awhile. An institution that truly values quality will not only make a good impression but will have quality all through every aspect as well.

The cleaners at Oasis perform important duties in all areas of the hospital. They polish and shine the outside to make the first impression sparkle to those visiting. They keep the wards and clinics shining clean so the staff and patients have a safe, clean environment in which to work and heal. They will tackle messes that few wish to approach. I am proud of them!

In life we all have different roles to play. Some people’s roles are highly visible, such as politicians on TV and before large crowds. Some people have jobs of high prestige and are looked up to by their peers. Some people work with their hands, building, restoring, fixing, and creating in many jobs. Some people work in the home, training and growing our next generation. The tasks we can do are many. We are all gifted in different ways. Without a mechanic ‘magician,’ my car would never be fixed; I have no talent there. Together we can do much more than any one alone. We can all do our very best, with a positive attitude, and a spirit of joy no matter the duty. We all face trials and have bad days. What ever you do is important. Not because of a check, a title, or applause, but rather because you do your work traveling through life in His grip.

P.S. Next time you see a man or woman working to make your workplace, city, or street better, stop and thank them. I think they would like to hear it!