The horrible experience of my son, having substance use disorder and overdosing was contrasted by the care he received here today. My son’s nurse took care of his needs while first dignifying him – she was gentle, even graceful as she addressed his medical devices, addressed his body with modesty and efficiency. In the simplest exchanges, she was most importantly, kind. Her absence of judgment or scorn or rudeness was a healing blessing in itself. My guess is this is how she treats all her patients every day. What she may not realize is how effective it is at healing social ills, and biases through the gift of decency. And when she dignified him, she dignified the human collective.