Brenda Watson did not expect a special message when she picked up her prescription.
After coming back from Todd’s Independent pharmacy May 22, she discovered a note printed on a small, green card in her prescription bag from the pharmacy team: “Wishing you good health. We shall get through this together. Stay kind, stay patient, stay home.”
“I almost was in tears. It was so kind of them to do that,” Watson said. “It just took me by surprise, and it turned a very mundane thing – picking up your medication – into a special treat.”
It is a gesture the pharmacy has extended to all its clients throughout the pandemic. Pharmacy manager Lauren Wilson said when the pandemic started, the messages were a way to provide some comfort.
“I know a lot of patients probably feel very isolated at home. Some people, they’re not able to see their family, and when they get their prescription and open their bag and they see these messages, even for a brief moment, they can take comfort in knowing people are thinking about them,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s four children have also gotten into it, and started handwriting the “stay kind, stay patient, stay home” message onto new cards getting sent out.
“I just wanted to teach them that small, simple acts of kindness can be very powerful,” Wilson said, adding the handwritten cards have gotten more comments. “I know that helped them feel like they’re making somewhat of a difference in people’s lives.”
Watson said it is an important message in today’s circumstances. “Every little, extra feel-good moment is worth 100 times more,” Watson said.
“It’s a very unsettling time for everybody,” Wilson said. “It’s also brought hope and the need to appreciate the little things in life. I feel like we’re kind of playing a small role in spreading hope in the community and keeping everybody’s spirits up.”
