It's amazing to me how one event in a person's life can be so full of lessons and defining of character. My mother was in the hospital again last week and over the weekend. One of my sisters was down there with her. As anyone who has read this column very much at all knows, my mother can be a handful. On Saturday, I was talking to my mother on the phone. It was obvious that she was disoriented and confused. She had been sick to her stomach a few times. As she talked she slyly told me that she had gotten my sister to bring her some of her over-the-counter medications. I asked her if she told the nurses what she was taking. She replied that she hadn't and wasn't going to. They didn't know what they were doing anyway so she was hiding her medications from them. She was quite delighted by the fact that she was sneaking these medications. Furthermore, she thought it was admirable that my sister had assisted her and was keeping her secret. To my mother, it proved how much my sister loved her.

I was concerned because I knew that she was on several new medications since being in the hospital. I was also concerned that she was disoriented and sick to her stomach. I called the nurses station to inquire about her condition. The nurse told me that they didn't understand what was causing it. She also said that they were reviewing her medications because it seemed like it was a potential drug interaction. She asked if I knew whether or not she was taking any over-the-counter medications from home. I told them that she was and I told them which medications they were. The nurse was flabbergasted. They had repeatedly asked my mother and sister about any home medications. The nurse thanked me and told me that it was extremely likely that these drugs were causing the problems and it was a potentially very serious drug interaction. I hung up the phone with the absolute certainty that my mother would not appreciate my actions. She didn't. She’s very angry with me and so are two of my sisters (so much so that they are not really speaking to me – again).

In that space of a moment between the nurse asking me if my mother was sneaking any medications and answering her question, I knew the consequence of telling the truth. And, while I am not usually a tattletale and I do not like that role, I knew what I had to do. Ironically, the fact that my mother is now feeling much better (after the nurse confiscated her home medications) and was released from the hospital today doesn't make her any less angry.

We've all had those moments where we knew what we had to do in spite of unpleasant consequences. In those moments, it is critical that we know who and what we are at all times independent from the approval and acceptance of others. Think about a time when you faced a similar situation. What happened? How did you approach your decision? Are you satisfied with your decision?

How did you remain true to who you are despite the pressure to conform?

To Your Success,

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