“ Doc , I like you . You don ’ t take my s #!@!!”
I let out a long breath and started to laugh too . He let me examine him , and as I left his room to rush off to rounds , he wished me a good day . I smiled and felt lighter all the way down the hall .
Over the years as a hospitalist , I have had my share of good days and bad days as well as great moments and not so good ones . However , the best part of my day is always seeing that unexpected smile which happens in the most unexpected place and at the time I least expect it . The unexpected smile is a gift , and as with great gifts , it is never expected , but always appreciated . Many times , it happens when I need it the most , when I am at my most vulnerable and stretched to my max . That unexpected smile can quickly change my grumpy mood , and yes , it can turn my own frown upside down . It can make time slow down just enough , so I don ’ t have to rush away to the next item on my to-do list . It can lift the heaviest burden that I may be carrying that day and it can give me more pep than a fancy coffee from Starbucks . Most importantly , it can lighten the mood of even the darkest rooms . I have watched the shadows of sorrow lift all due to a smile that breaks through the tears of a grieving family after they share a funny memory with me . Albeit a brief moment , those smiles still bring light to the darkness . Though the unexpected smile brings joy to my day , it ’ s what lies behind it that means the most . Though all smiles connect people in various ways , the unexpected smile brings a much deeper connection . It becomes a familiarity
between people , a common ground where joy was shared , even if that joy was only for a moment . It also can be the icebreaker in a tense situation or a glimmer of light in a sad and dark time . The unexpected smile also reminds me that goodness and kindness still exist , even in health care . The years of the COVID-19 pandemic , the stress and subsequent burnout of health care workers and social unrest have left many of us feeling disenchanted with health care to the point we have forgotten why we went into medicine in the first place . That unexpected smile is a nice reminder of my call to serve , of my call to medicine . In that moment , I am in the right place at the right time sharing that moment with that person , even if it is only for a brief minute .
The unexpected smile is not just a unidirectional gift , but a shared gift . Mr . Smith may never know the impact of his gift , but I do hope he also felt something in that shared moment . My hope is that he felt peace or kindness , and maybe even a little joy . Regardless of the actual feeling , my hope is that he felt his burdens lighten too , and that maybe , the unexpected smile was not just the best part of my day , but the best part of his day too .
Dr . Briones-Pryor is the Medical Director for the Hospital Medicine Service Line for UofL Health and is the Chief Medical Officer for UofL Health Shelbyville Hospital . She also serves as the current GLMS Board Chair .
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