March 17, 2017

Today we celebrate:

Doctor-Patient Trust Day - This is all about the importance of trust. If a patient does not trust their doctor to make good healthcare decisions and a doctor does not trust a patient to give him/her accurate information upon which he/she can base those decisions, the relationship is not going to work and the patient is going to suffer. Shop around until you find a doctor you trust and be absolutely honest when you answer their questions and tell them what you are experiencing. That way they can help you get better quickly. Just remember, trust building takes time.

National Preschool Teachers Appreciation Day - A few days ago we had a day for preschoolers, well this is a day to appreciate the teachers who care for them. I remember how hard it was to have just three small children at home, imagine having a whole classroom full of them. At that age, they are selfish, insatiably curious, unaware of things like personal boundaries and social norms, and often unable to sit still for more than five seconds. Not an environment I could deal with every day so we need to appreciate the people who make it their life’s work.

Campfire Girls Day – Founded in 1910 by Dr. Luther Gulick, and his wife, Charlotte Gulick, Campfire Girls of America was incorporated as a national agency on this day in 1912. Its' mission was to do for girls what the boy scouts did for boys. As you can tell from the name it involved lots of camping and outdoor activities. In 1975 it began allowing boys to become members and changed its name to Campfire Boys and Girls. In 2001 it became Campfire USA and in 2012 it became simply, Campfire. I prefer to camp in the summer when it’s warm, but to each his own.

Submarine Day - On this day in 1898, John Philip Holland first demonstrated his submarine, the Holland VI to the US Navy. They were the first that used internal combustion engines on the surface and electric battery power beneath the surface.

Saint Patrick's Day – St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. For centuries, the Irish have been celebrating his life on this date, which is believed to be the date of his death in the year 460, with a great feast. The festivities have spread over the years to the extent that on this day, everyone is a little bit Irish. There is usually a St. Patrick's Day parade at some point on a weekend leading up to this day.

National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day - While many Americans think that this is a traditional Irish dish to be eaten on St. Patrick’s Day, they would be wrong. This is an Irish-American creation that Irish immigrants created when they came to America and found out that corned beef was similar to the corned pork that they were used to. Beef wasn’t eaten in Ireland because most cows were used for dairy. However, since it is such a popular dish in this country on this day, that made it the perfect food holiday for whoever decided there needed to be a food celebration every single day.

World Sleep Day - Celebrated on the second full week in March, this is a day that was created by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Association of Sleep Medicine. That sounds like an amazing committee to be a part of. I wonder what meetings are like, do they start them off with a nap? The idea is to draw attention to the variety of sleep problems that plague people and to spreading awareness of how to prevent, or at least manage them so that sufferers can live a good life. We all know that when we don’t get enough sleep, our health, safety and productivity suffer. But we do not all know that there are people who are devoted to making sure that we get a good night sleep. If you do not get enough sleep, seek them out and ask for help.