I had a busy work day. Two surgeons and twenty-three cataract surgery patients made for almost eight hours of work. Fortunately, I work with a great bunch of people. We don’t all work the same schedule and each day brings a different mix of us. But still, everyone is nice and we get along quite well as we efficiently keep patients coming in and moving out.

We are pretty much a happy surgical center in the fact that almost every patient is there for a surgery to restore their sight. Cataract surgery is fairly quick with little discomfort so patients have a much more pleasant experience then say, someone getting their gall bladder out or having bunion surgery. We’ve had patients as young as in their twenties, but most are sixty and above with several ninety-year-olds. So many times our patient is obviously the great matriarch or patriarch of the family. They come in, accompanied by a spouse, and or a son or daughter. The spouse or offspring dote on the elderly patient and faithfully tend to their comfort. I especially like to observe some of our patients who look and sound like they are from the ‘old country’ They come with big beards and turbans on their heads, or hair that has never been cut and is braided long down their backs, or they have beautiful silk scarves that are replaced on their heads after surgery, or the big give-away is that they don’t speak English. Often times a family member is in attendance to act as interpreter. We do our best to smile and treat everyone with mutual care and respect. It can get frustrating when the language barrier gets in the way but we manage with unofficial hand language and the recognition of key words. I am happy to say that most patients leave our facility saying things like “Thank you” or “Everyone was very nice.” It made me grin from ear to ear today when, after walking an elderly woman with her silk scarf on her head out to her car, her awaiting husband helped her into the passenger seat and, for lack of the correct English words, nodded to me and said “Thank you – good service!”

Good Service! I love it. Usually good service comes from wait staff or a plumber. So, it was not quite the right words but that’s all this man knew to say. Now that I think about it – it simply meant everything. Because at the end of the work day, that’s all that is really important – that our patient left after experiencing good care – and service. It just sounded so darn cute coming from this old man.

I hope that at the end of MY days – I will hear those words – good service. If we can live our lives the best we can, treating others as God has commanded, all that matters is that we hear those words: Well done good and faithful servant.

just Laurel