We usually look to November as a month of gratitude because of the Thanksgiving holiday. I think the month of May should also be seen as a month of gratitude. May gives us time to reflect on the impact that certain people can have on our lives. With Mother’s Day, Teacher’s Week and Nurse’s Week all being celebrated this month, what better time to share our thanks.
We spent this past Sunday honoring moms. I have always liked this quote from James E. Faust, “The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” I would add that the influence doesn’t end at childhood and is something that we carry with us every single day. Happy belated Mother’s Day to our mothers.
There may only be a week set aside to recognize the work of our teachers at the beginning of May, but I think it’s important for everyone to take time to reflect on their long-term impact and take a moment to say ‘thank you’ to an educator in their life that has left an impression. As I have spoken about in past blogs, I have a passion for the early education sector and the important role they play in not only the health and well-being of our workforce but most importantly on our youngest members of society. From a child’s first day in an education environment until the day they receive their diploma and every day after, the impact teachers have is immeasurable.
Now, this week we are in the midst of Nurse’s Week. Florence Nightingale, a British nurse best known as the founder of modern nursing, was born on May 12, 1820 in Italy. We mark her birthday each year with the last day of Nurse’s Week. The pandemic was a glaring opportunity to see first-hand the resilience and commitment of our nurses. The lives they help and the comfort and care they provide every day, without fail, is something that we can never honor in just a week. I am personally grateful for their dedication.
