Father Ed Commentary: A Booster Shot on National Nurses Day
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Following a conversation with my doctor, I was scheduled Friday morning for my COVID-19 booster shot. I got up early for a light breakfast and some exercise then jumped in the car for the ride to the clinic.
The day, all day, was marked by rain, rain, rain. The kind of day that makes you want to do nothing (like clean my apartment, which I usually do the first full weekend of the month).
I had one of the early appointments and as I pulled in the parking lot, the radio announcer commented that today is National Nurses Day. The short distance from my car to the clinic door was filled with racing thoughts of how much we have depended on the medical profession these past two-plus years.
As I entered the door and was greeted, I instinctively said, “Happy Natioal Nurses Day to all of you!” There were smiles all around. Others in the waiting room chimed in and the smiles grew.
The smile-session, booster shot and short waiting period afterwards didn’t take but 30 minutes, but the effect of it all stayed with me throughout the day.
Medical professionals, as well as many other first-responders in various circles that we encounter, have put their safety and health and lives on the line over and over again.
Early on in the pandemic, creative ways of saying thank you filled the airwaves and social media. How many times we saw photos or footage of medical personnel loaded down with layers and layers of protective uniforms, masks and coverings of all kinds. Underneath it all though were the skilled minds and hands of people whose hearts and dedication knew no bounds.
THANK YOU has taken on a new meaning these days. And THANK YOU can never be repeated enough.
We know that the pandemic is not over. Just in the past few days, the sober thought of one million deaths in our country has certainly given us reason to pause. The entire globe is dealing with similar sobering statistics.
In the midst of this mind-swirling day, I texted a nurse I know and got back a “THUMBS-UP” picture before she headed off to surgery. The photo captured the spirit, I think, of the many, many people who have brought calming and positive vibes to a world starving for hope.
The hopelessness of war, greed, famine and pandemics can taint us and taunt us into a mood of near despair. People who bring hope and cause hope are the people who become the boosters of a better way. May their numbers keep increasing.
Pictured: Father Ed’s friend, a nurse, sends a selfie.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
