Y’know, do you remember Valentine’s Day? I mean, back in grade school. When I was there (admittedly, I started a little over a half-century ago, but with all due respect to millennials, we did do some things right in the dark days before the Internet and Facebook), everybody gave everybody a Valentine in their class.And there were only three different choices for cards, so a lot of them were the same, but it was the sentiment that was important. For one day there were no groups, clubs, cliques, or divisions—everybody asked everybody, “Will you be my Valentine?”Of course, those were the innocent days of the Valentine. Your awareness of a different kind of attraction started in middle grades. I was nine years old, and in my grade six class there was a girl who, interestingly, had the same first name as my future bride, but her last name was French. I knew French was the language of romance because Pepe Le Peu was always romancing the girl cat who he thought was a skunk. Even though I didn't yet know exactly what Pepe was after, his accent, his approach and his persistence provided a clue that this is something special indeed.I would learn later that the object of any such pursuit was not a cat with another stripe, but a completely different animal. Ah, but zat is anuzzer story (think Pepe’s accent).But back to the innocence of those Valentine’s Days. There were 27 in your class, and you came home with 27 Valentines (bonus points to those who figured out that someone gave you two, and then puzzled over who that could be). It meant that you were worth the consideration, time and effort, no more, but no less, than the others.But more than that, it hinted at a potential relationship. Starting from a point of respect, maybe admiration and certainly hope. Will you be my Valentine?So I am going to write a Valentine to my profession.My profession badly needs a cheap little card, shaped like a big heart, that says that it's special, as good as any other, and that maybe we could have a relationship in the future. Perhaps that relationship could grow and be nurtured in a way that every day is Valentine’s Day. (Kind of like at my house.)But as the real world encroaches, what I say is not enough, is it? It's my actions that will be the Valentine. Therefore, I am going to send a daily Valentine (maybe not weekends or holidays—I am not a machine) to my profession about something good that happened that day between a pharmacist and a patient. There are countless worthy stories, but if you don’t send your Valentine, your act of affection is just an unrequited and unrecognized intention (or maybe, intervention).Feel free to send your own Valentines. Every time you do something to help somebody and you get that “This is what I signed up for” feeling, you can now send a Valentine to your profession. Tell a vignette of an interesting or notable time you helped.Your Valentine could be an everyday thing you do, or a unique circumstance. Tell us how you or a colleague helped, and especially how the patient felt afterward. It could be a clinical intervention, or just being a kind and caring fellow human being. Or anything in between. I know these little moments happen every day for me—and I am just one of thousands of pharmacists who are blessed to be able to help people.Remember, this is about what you did, when you could. We can talk about all the things you aren't able/allowed to do somewhere else.No-one wants to get a Valentine that says “I will ask you to be my Valentine if you change your hair colour, dress differently, treat me really nice, and probably get a better personality.”If that is what your Valentine says, well, good luck with that.Will sending these Valentines get you what you want? Well, in the pursuit of romance, and in this world of easy and instant gratification, I can only make one point about the effort and energy you put into an objective—romantic or otherwise. There is a difference between being dropped off by helicopter on the summit of Mount Everest, and the experience of savouring the view after you've climbed all the way to the top. You decide which feeling you want to go after.Happy Valentine’s Day.Ken Burns is pharmacist at the Diabetes Care Centre at Sudbury Regional Hospital.Share your love taleHave an inspiring patient interaction you want to share? Post it in the comments section or email it to vwood@ensembleiq.com.
