HAPPY NATIONAL NURSES DAY 2020
Today is officially National Nurses Day. But hasn’t every day for the past two months been just that??? At least it should have been!
I don’t know who came up with this drawing, but it’s brilliant. And so exactly depicts what we should all be feeling.
I’m thrilled that people are finally appreciating nurses as much as they always should. I promise you that I always have. Growing-up, I hated doctors, but loved nurses. I actually named one of my earliest dolls after a Swedish nurse at one of my doctor’s offices. (Yes, I did have multiple doctors, even as a child. Have you met me?! I’m from a Brooklyn Jewish family, y’all!) The nurse’s name was Meerdiga. (Strange, I know. What little Brooklyn Jewish girl gives a doll that crazy name?!) (Also, I’m spelling it as it sounds. Sorry, but I was only about five when I met her–I didn’t think to ask how to spell her name!)
Okay, before we move on in my written thoughts on this special day, I have one verbal telling of an interesting story of my own semi-nursing experience to share with you. So here’s the link to my new YouTube video on the subject: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cQz5JjUceM&t=33s. I promise—this is a short one!
Just one of the many images of current nurses that should be forever seared into our brains.
Now I have to get serious on the topic of nurses for a minute. What’s happening in the world now reminds me of an old black-and-white movie I saw on TV back in the day. It’s about a pair of sisters who are nurses during World War II, (I believe,) and one dies after giving a gravely ill young patient mouth-to-mouth in an emergency. Every time I hear of a current nurse getting the virus after attending to her hospital charges, I flash back to this very sad film. [Note: I’m so sorry, but I forgot the name. I’ve just spent two hours researching it, with no luck. I thought it was something like Women In White, but I can’t find anything under that title. If you know which movie I’m talking about, please enlighten us in the Comments section below. And no worries—we do not publish your email, of course.]
In case you were unaware of National Nurses Day before reading about it here, its purpose is to raise awareness of just how important nurses are to society. Never has that been more apparent, worldwide, than during this coronavirus pandemic! (By the way, National Nurses Week begins today, as well. Can you venture a guess as to why these dates? It’s because the last day of the commemoration, May 12th, which is celebrated as International Nurses Day, is the birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. She’s the teacher in the middle of the big image at the top of this page, with her graduating class of nurses from St Thomas’ in 1886.)
Speaking of Florence, I totally trust all of her medical teachings—she lived to be ninety, in a time when the average lifespan was just a little more than half that!!! (But she had great genes to begin with–her father lived to be eighty and her mother ninety-two!)
Betsy Abramova when she was first becoming a nurse a few years ago. Photo by Karen Salkin.
Okay, I’m getting a tad off topic here. I just want to pay my own little tribute to all the nurses in the world, especially the ones who are working so hard, (with some even giving their lives,) during this deadly beyond-painful global health emergency. They are all truly heroes in my book.
And a very special shout-out to my “little sis,” Brooklyn’s own Betsy Abramova, for choosing this profession!!! The medical world is lucky to have this caring, kind, compassionate being in their ranks.
Happy National Nurses Day, everyone! Please join me in celebrating these wonderful, brave human beings. (And don’t forget to watch my new vid, especially if you need a bit of cheering-up right about now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cQz5JjUceM&t=33s.)
