Community

     When you live in a community for a long time you get to know the folks that own or work at the businesses that you frequent. Whether it's your dentist, or your doctor's receptionist, your favourite pizza place or the pharmacy where your prescriptions are filled, it's the people that make going there worthwhile and sometimes even fun. One of our daughters' favourite people is our pharmacist. The pharmacy where he works is a smaller, family-run business. He and his father have looked after our medicinal needs since we've been a family and his mother is the nice lady at the front of the shop. Our girls have known this family since they were babies and love going there. I'm sure that it doesn't hurt that our purchases sometimes include lollipops that he's sneaked in there for them. He also buys them something at Christmas time. What they really love though is getting to go behind the counter: "the backstage pass" and listening to the silly jokes he tells them.  He shares the latest antic that his little niece has been up to on FaceTime. And he asks them about what they've been doing and listens to the answer. He makes them feel like special customers and they like that.
     What I like is that no matter the situation, serious medical situation or not, we feel cared for as people. Our health sometimes depends on this family and they do a terrific job. I have never felt that personal level of service at the bigger chain pharmacies. When you think about it, a pharmacist knows things about you and your family that you might not even share with the best of friends. Their knowledge is key to your health; their experience with combining certain medicines and supplements for example, is crucial. All I know is that we couldn't imagine having our prescriptions filled anywhere else. Where else could we go and get such great service, happy smiles and a silly joke too?