A Thank-You Letter To A Nurse

What I have witnessed in the last 8 months is nothing short of a miracle. I don't get to hear much about her work days, but I can see it in her face when she gets home. She takes care of more than just her patients medical needs. Medicine and therapy are just the surface. In this time of limited visits, she is sometimes the only person that those she cares for get to talk to during her shift. She sometimes is their only family.  Thank-you.

My wife takes to it. Loves it. She says because of her required masks, shields, and goggles, it's hard for her patients to see that she is smiling, so she always makes sure they can see it in her eyes, and hear it in her voice. I can imagine her, tenderly caring for patients, easing them through confusion, or depression, on top of whatever medical needs each particular patient has. That's just how she is. Thank-you.

She comes home from work exhausted, too hungry to eat, too tired to sleep. And somehow she's back at it, shift after shift, patient after patient. Some of her shifts are spent caring for Covid patients exclusively. She's at war, and her secret weapons are kindness and love. On top of her medicine, and judgement, these patients are lucky to have someone who stands by them. Thank-you.

I never realized how hard it is to add the level of compassion to the care that she gives. The extra work nurses are doing right now deserves attention. Maybe you know a nurse like my wife. Maybe you've been cared for by one. Maybe you're married to one.  Maybe you're just seeing their eyes at the grocery store.

I see you. Thank-you.