The month of May is replete with opportunities to celebrate our nurses, teachers, mothers and those who serve in our military. Reflecting on these vital members of our community, I cannot help but think of the words of John F. Kennedy, who wisely stated, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
Nurses Week
The American Nurses Association spearheads the celebration of Nurses Week during May 6 – 12 and throughout the month of May. This year’s theme is “Nurses Make the Difference”, spotlighting the invaluable role of nursing professionals in providing skilled, compassionate care, whenever and wherever they serve their patients. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing says “The U.S. is projected to experience a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) that is expected to intensify as Baby Boomers age and the need for health care grows. Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing schools across the country are struggling to expand capacity to meet the rising demand for care.” Especially considering the shortage of nurses, the very least we can do is to let nurses know how much we appreciate them and value their star in the galaxy of health care professionals.
Teacher’s Day and Teacher Appreciation Week
The 2024 Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated from May 6 to May 10, and National Teachers’ Day is May 7. Teachers deserve both our respect and the resources needed to do their often challenging jobs of instructing our children and grandchildren. The National Education Association (NEA) website includes suggestions for ways to say thank-you to the teachers in our lives. Staffing is still difficult for many schools. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that forty-five percent of public schools felt they were understaffed entering the 2023-24 school year, which was a decrease from the 53 percent of schools who felt understaffed entering the 2022-23 school year. There is still a lot of room for improvement, and grassroots support for our teachers is paramount.
Mother’s Day
This year Mother’s Day was celebrated on Sunday, May 12. The Days of the Year website offers some interesting insights on the evolution of Mother’s Day. The foundation for the Mother’s Day we celebrate today was laid in 1868, when Anna Jarvis created Mother’s Friendship Day as an occasion for reconciliation during which mothers gathered Union and Confederate soldiers who had fought in the Civil War to promote peace. If you need ideas for how to show appreciation to the mother(s) in your life, they offer suggestions. For those who are fortunate to still have their mother, make sure you express your love often and in a variety of ways, if possible.
Military Appreciation Month
The month of May offers many special days to honor the military, and Military.com provides information about those that are well known and those that are lesser known, across all branches of the military. These are three of the special days celebrated by the military in May:
- May 12: Military Spouse Appreciation Day celebrates the sacrifices made by supportive military spouses.
- May 20: Armed Forces Day pays tribute to those Americans serving in the military.
- May 30: Memorial Day commemorates all Americans who have died while serving in the military and is the most widely celebrated of the military-themed observances.
Unfortunately, some veterans struggle with access to affordable, quality oral health care. In keeping with our values, the theme of our 2023 Annual Report, our company sets aside funds in our three states (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) to ensure that qualifying veterans get the services they need to improve their oral health, something that is critical to their overall health and quality of life.
The month of May has ample opportunity to thank the nurses who heal, the teachers who inspire, the mothers that nurture and the military who protect, but every day is a good day for appreciation of all who serve our communities.
