We should always endeavour to wonder at the permanent thing, not at the mere exception. We should be startled by the sun, and not by the eclipse. We should wonder less at the earthquake, and wonder more about the earth.
~ G.K. Chesterton

As a physician, I’m trained to notice the exceptions.  Ordinarily I’m not particularly attentive to everything that is going well with the human body, instead concentrating on what is aberrant or could be made better.  This is unfortunate; there is much beauty and perfect design to behold in every person I meet.

Instead I am looking past the every day miracles to find what’s wrong.

To counter this tendency to just find flaws, I’ve learned over the years to talk out loud as I do physical assessments:  your eardrums look just as they should, your eyes react normally, your tonsils look fine, your thyroid feels smooth, your lymph nodes are tiny , your lungs are clear, your heart sounds are perfect, your belly exam is reassuring, your reflexes are symmetrical, your emotional response to a stress and your tears are completely appropriate.  I want to acknowledge what is working well, as it should, as it was designed to be.  I want a wonder of the human body and mind to extend to the person who inhabits it as well.

When the exception occurs, it is likely to startle and frighten the patient but I don’t want it to surprise me.  We must tackle it with everything we’ve got.

What gives us the strength to deal with the exception is how much in every person is right and wondrous.

Just as it was meant to be.