It may have been when you swiped your badge.

You wondered whether you had the strength for what the day would hold...

Perhaps it was just before you knocked on the holding room door.

You paused to clear your head from the intensity of the case you just finished...

Or maybe it was before you pulled the PACU curtain open.

You prepared to welcome the parents who did not receive the good news they were expecting...

and you sighed.

It may have been when you began to chart.

You rehashed your unpleasant encounter with a guardian who misunderstood your intentions...

Perhaps it was when you stepped into the breakroom.

You collapsed from the emotional weight of caring for another little one whose future is unclear...

Or maybe it was when your supervisor rounded the corner after your conversation.

You shook your head, wondering why your best never seems to be good enough...

and you sighed.

It may have been when you stood bedside, pre-op.

You offered a reassuring smile in the face of so much impossibility...

Perhaps it was as you sat beside your post-op patient.

You wondered how this sleeping too-young amputee would awaken to a “new normal”...

Or maybe it was when you stood quietly in the hallway.

You helplessly watched parents whisper goodbyes that should never have to be said...

and you sighed.

It may have been as you clocked out.

You marveled in happy-exhaustion at the medical miracle you got to be a part of today...

Perhaps it was as you returned to your car.

You pulled the door shut, closed your eyes, savored the silence...

Or maybe it was as you lingered in the grocery store.

You blankly stared at stocked shelves resenting the thought of having to make one more decision...

and you sighed.

Your sighs are not unheard. Nor are they unseen.

Your sighs have been costly: an expense paid, again and again, by the outpouring of your finances, your time, your tears, your sweat, and your strength.

But know this: These sighs are beautiful expressions of your sacrificial love, your relentless devotion, your fierce passion, your steadfast commitment, your resilient courage, your gentle humility, your strategic creativity, your selfless dedication, and your attentive care for patients and for their families.

So with a deep sigh of earnest admiration and with profound gratitude, I say, "Thank you."

Your sighs are cherished because you, my friend, are priceless.