Today, I stood at the deli counter at our local Walmart. When the lady finally came over, I was sure I’d misheard the lady behind the counter. It was mid-afternoon and she told me she was closed, couldn’t cut me any meat because she was cleaning up before she left and they are short staffed. I was too tired to be at The Walmart. I felt like someone had just stole my balloon.
I stood there in literal shock, I just wanted Nate’s 2 pounds of deli meat. My mind started spinning and I wasn’t thinking very clearly.
I just needed for Nate to be able to make 59 Dagwood sandwiches next week. He doesn’t eat at school. He runs and has soccer practice. He needs to be able to think and do pages of Pre-calculus homework and study for Chemistry .
I just wanted meat and to go home. Where is this all going to end? The whole world is short staffed.
I thought of my coworkers and I, we worked short staffed and overbooked this week as did many. I was tired. It was a long week. But, we kept cutting the deli meat and putting it on the scales til we were done. Everyone who needed surgery was either tucked into their own beds or hospital beds safely. The work was done. Glory, I was crying at the deli counter. Maybe it was just past my nap time,but for a minute I wanted a manager. I wanted a manager to tell me what we could do to get me some of that meat. Did they need me behind that counter for a while? I can use a slicer with some practice. I know how to work a scale. I’m an expert at printing labels.
I for sure can smile and be friendly with folks, even if they can’t see it for my mask and eye protection.
What if we just stopped when we were short staffed?
All that reminded me how we were all very thankful for this mid-day pick me up on an especially long Friday from @thecaffeinatedcowcheraw . It gave me a second wind.
And my coworkers and I? Well, we laughed, cried and maybe even yelled some, but we stayed and we got it done… and this weekend those on call will roll in with a moments notice to get it done again, and on Monday we’ll all roll back in to stay and get it done again.
I am thankful for this excellent gang of warriors the Lord has placed me with. I am thankful for our surgeons, our ICU nurses, our Med-surg folks, our ED crew, the folks in the kitchen who feed us and the people who come clean up all my messes and get us rolling to get in the next patients who need help. We are all working short staffed. But, we all need each other to get it all done.
It may not always be perfect but we don’t quit on each other. I am so thankful for this excellent gang of warriors the Lord has placed me with. It may not always be perfect but we don’t quit on each other.
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