March 29- A Very Special Holiday

[sideshowstarlet, BSN, RN]

I would like to share the story of how, in 2014, I invented a new holiday, Amish Appreciation Day, to be celebrated on March 29. Today marks not only the eleventh annual Amish Appreciation Day, but also one of the rare times when Amish Appreciation Day falls on a Saturday.  No offense to anyone who is Amish- this is just a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. 

I had previously shared this story on another poster's thread a few years ago. The poster was asking the group how to deal with nosy, gossipy coworkers. I had pulled this anecdote from my own life, hoping to encourage others to make up a crazy story to feed their workplace gossip mill, thereby obtaining satisfaction and entertainment instead of being angry at the gossip. Here is that true story again: 

On Friday, March 28, 2014, I was working in a SNF/LTC (colloquially known as a nursing home). Back then, my hair was longer, and I always kept it in a bun while working. I was filling in on a 2-10 shift when a med aide randomly walked up to me.

I was fairly new, but even then, I was aware that this med aide had a big mouth. We were standing near the nurses station, so the DON, the ADON, a CNA, and the other nurse were within earshot. Anyway, the med aide asked me "Are you really Amish?" I'm not Amish. No offense to any Amish people, but that was a completely random question.

However, I quickly rallied (looking back, me and this med aide BOTH kind of had a reputation for having a big mouth). I told her that yes, I was Amish, and that I was looking forward to being off tomorrow, since March 29 is Amish Appreciation Day. It is celebrated exactly one month after February 29 every year, except for leap years, because, to the Amish, Leap Year is a fasting year.

The med aide, the other nurse, the DON, the ADON, and the CNA did not realize I was joking until I started laughing. I was told that there were rumors that I was Amish, because I always wore my hair in a bun.

As fate would have it, the normal weekend nurse called off sick at the last minute the next day, so I filled in for her.

The Amish joke lived on throughout my tenure. Whenever I worked the nigh shift and made 24 hour reports for the next day (basically, writing all the patient names on a new blank page), I always scribbled in "Amish Appreciation Day" in the margin for pages dated March 29. And somehow, I always seemed to be working on March 29 all 3 years I was there.

I am happy to report that this year, I am working at a clinic that is closed on weekends, and this year, March 29 falls on a weekend without being part of a Leap Year (One of the many reasons 2020 was a difficult year is that, while it was one of the few times that March 29 fell on a weekend, Amish Appreciation Day could not be celebrated, because 2020 was a Leap Year). 

I would like to encourage everyone, Amish or not, working or not, hair swept up in a bun or not, to do something nice for yourselves on Amish Appreciation Day!

[Eugy]

Congratulations! I am thankful that you are still doing what you love. We will all be remembered by something. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from the year 2020. Appreciating how far we have come and choosing to do something nice for ourselves is a recipe for personal and professional success.