Dear Brave Guardians of the Front Door, Telephone, and Email,

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart thank you for keeping my introverted phone-hating self from having to answer calls. Thank you for preventing my stomach from tying into knots with every ring. Thank you for all the times you had to hang on to the wrist of your receiver-holding hand to ensure you wouldn’t slam that thing back into the cradle.

Thank you for being patient with me every time I left a detailed message and the client called right back without checking their voicemail. Or the times when the client and I have played phone tag all day long. Or when you had to interrupt me in the middle of something to relay an emergency message. Or when I was frustrated with something else and you had the misfortune of needing to talk to me. I’m sorry my faces were out loud.

Thank you for being there for every scared and sad client. Thank you for being the gentle, reassuring voice that guides them to where they need to be. Thank you for answering emails while talking on the phone and waving/smiling at someone entering the door – all at the same time.

Thank you for learning the right questions to ask so you can determine if there is an emergency. So many of you don’t have a medical background and yet you work hard to keep our patients safe before we ever see them.

Thank you for having my back, for protecting me from sales calls, and for being delighted when you call me up to the front desk and I’m met with a bouquet of flowers instead of the angry client I was expecting. Thank you for getting me cookies from The Cookie Man when I was too busy to order some. Thank you for knowing I hate the ones with raisins. Thank you for every time you didn’t overload my schedule or squeeze in an appointment after hours when I had somewhere to be. Thank you for defusing upset clients before I ever got to the phone.

Most of all, thank you for doing the most dreaded job in the hospital with grace and humor. None of us could do this without you.

Hugs, love, and admiration,
A Happy Vet