When I was five years old, I fell off the monkey bars at school and cried until I was carried to the nurse’s office. My mom came in and as tiny as she was at 4’ 11” easily picked me up and brought me to the hospital. She knew my leg was broken.

Even though my mom didn’t become a nurse until she was in her forties, it was in her nature, a part of her. When we were growing up, she advocated for us, cared for and wrapped our cuts and bruises, sat by our beds when we were sick, and made the best chicken noodle soup.

We were so proud of her when she became a nurse. It was like she had finally found the perfect pair of shoes to walk in. She hustled in the ER but found her groove caring for the elderly in nursing homes. Between pushing a medicine cart that was a tall as her shoulders, she made the residents laugh, feel seen, and respected.

My sister, Michele, went to nursing school when she was pregnant with her second child. Any kind of schooling while pregnant would be a challenge but Michele made it look easy, because she followed her heart.

She’s like my mom in that she supports patients like she would want to be treated. She sees the whole person and truly cares that they have what they need to lead fulfilling lives.

It takes a special person to care for people when they are at their lowest, most scared, and vulnerable. It takes guts, bravery, determination, compassion, kindness, quick-thinking, smarts, and love to be a nurse.

Nurses hone in on the details of whatever illness or situation a person is dealing with and make sure they are comfortable, safe, and understood. Nurses are the conduit between the patient and the doctors. They are the ones who get the work done.

I have fabulous friends who are nurses, and I see the same traits in each of them. There’s this desire to help others above yourself and to give people a chance to thrive. Nurses want their patients to live their best lives. 

Thank you to my mom and sister for tending to our family’s wounds, which is a whole other story. I appreciate you and all the nurses who have worked tirelessly, especially over the last two years to help the sick and their families.

If you see a nurse, smile at them—it may be their first smile of the day. Thank them—you never know how much your words may lift them up.

National Nurses’ Day is May 6. National Nurses’ Week is May 6-12. It ends on International Nurses’ Day and the Florence Nightingales’ Birthday—a special celebrated nurse.