Boost

I know almost everyone is mad at something or someone these days.

This pandemic has been a long haul and we can’t see where the road ends just yet. But I figure bitterness tastes bad, and this week, I had one of those moments that reminded me of just how fortunate I am to be a Canadian and how the resiliency of our nation is best found in the depths of winter.

May I politely remind you that we are the land of sweet maple syrup and even sweeter ice wine, two of the best things to come out of a deep-freeze that promises spring will follow. You’re welcome.

This is what I told myself Monday morning, in the frigid early morning hours, scraping the windows of my car after the freezing rain the night prior draped a pebbled blanket over it.

The defroster in my old car was not heating fast enough. I chipped away at the windshield thinking of maple syrup and mumbling about how I love winter, to convince myself I do even when my face hurts from the cold.

I was rushed. I was going to be late for my booster vaccine appointment and believe it or not, I was super excited to be getting that done and even more excited that it would be via my pharmacist, because truth be told, I have found the level of care and guidance from my pharmacist to be sometimes more human and helpful than the doctors writing the script. When you have multiple specialists, it’s the pharmacist who keeps your medications straight and helps you manage them accordingly. That’s a level of care and support we count on.

I registered at my pharmacy’s drive-thru window then parked in front of the store.

But here’s the best part: I got my vaccine delivered and administered to me right in my car. Talk about a Canadian moment. It was -11, the snow was blowing around when out walked my pharmacist, in her parka and big boots, carrying her medicine disposal box, the paperwork for my vaccine and everything she needed to give me my booster shot.

I half–rolled my window down to hang her medicine box on the glass. I removed my coat, rolled up my sleeve, and as the wind whipped the snow around us, she administered the needle so quickly, I didn’t have time to feel it.

We parted ways and I sat in my car and listened to three excellent rock and roll songs by Canadian artists, which equalled my 15-minute wait time, before I could leave. That was a very cool appointment.

I fish-tailed out of the parking lot (which I did on purpose because nobody was around and it’s a Canadian winter, and that still makes me happy) and I drove home thinking how fortunate I am to have access to the vaccine right in my hometown.

Actually, how lucky am I to have access to a vaccine at all?  The things we take for granted in this country baffle me.

We live in a beautiful country where even the cold days bring about beauty if you look for it.

We have health care professionals at many levels who are exhausted and burnt out, but are still kind and caring, doing a job most of us could not do. Be grateful.

And soon, the maple syrup harvest will remind us all just how sweet it is to be Canadian.

WriteOut of Her Mind