I am so excited about this week's pay it forward! It goes out to one of the best doctors I know. Now this guy is not your every day run of the mill doc. He doesn't make you wait in his waiting room until your butt goes numb from sitting. He will actually talk to you personally over the phone instead of using a nurse as the go between. His ego remains perfectly in check at all times. He harbors no God tendencies or superiority complexes. He doesn't try to figure out ways to inflate your bill so he can squeeze some more money out of the insurance companies or your pocket. He actually engages people in real live conversations that take longer than 2.5 minutes. He doesn't drive a Porsche or live in a mansion and get this, he truly loves, that's right I said loves, his patients. No, this is not an ordinary doctor folks, this is a one in a million! Too bad for us, his patients are only of the four legged variety. That's right, Dr. Jeff Ward, is our absolute favorite veterinarian.
Dr. Ward is one of those rare people that are so intelligent and hard working he could be doing anything with his time and talents but fortunately for us he chose to take care of some of our favorite family members. I remember one of the things that most impressed me about Dr. Ward when I first visited his office many years ago. I took our dogs Bandit and Shadow in to see him for regular vaccinations and Dr. Ward just plopped right down on the floor with our two not-so-brave little boys and proceeded to get to know each one of them on their level. He spent several minutes just talking and playing with them and before long they decided that he was their new favorite person. We have had several different dogs throughout the years and the one thing they all had in common, besides being completely and helplessly spoiled, was that they all loved Dr. Ward and the wonderful employees at 70 West Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Ward is like a member of our family. He has seen us through some dark days and laughed with us through some better ones. He is always genuinely interested in what is going on in our lives. He catches up with us when we go in for exams and wants to know how everyone is doing. He is never too busy to talk or console or laugh a little.
When our sweet dog Sophie got sick this past year it was Dr. Ward and his girls that helped us through it. I think that her passing affected them almost as much as it did us. She wasn't just a dog. She was family and they got that. It is the best thing in the world to have someone really truly understand your pain and help you through it. Dr. Ward and his affectionate staff have done just that for us many times through the years. They are kind, compassionate people that I am almost certain are hiding a few sets of wings under those lab coats.
The difference between someone that does a good job and someone that does an exceptional job is passion. You can't learn it. You can't buy it and you certainly can't fake it. There is nothing quite like doing a job that you were made to do. Everyone around you can feel that energy, and I am not just talking about the humans. Sophie always loved going to see Dr. Ward. I think she thought of it as a play date of sorts. There was no reason to be scared or fearful. There was only love, hugs, kisses and more love. I believe in callings and I know one thing for sure, Dr. Ward has found his!
This week we are giving Dr. Ward a long over due present. His favorite college team is the University of North Carolina so we had a soft fuzzy throw made for him sporting his favorite team's logo. We wrote him a nice thank you card and got the girls in the office a few yummies of their own.
A great big thank you to Dr. Ward and his wonderful team for all of their hard work, love, patience, kindness and compassion. We love you all very much and are so fortunate to have you around to take care of our precious pets.
Laurie
P.S. You can read more about our sweet girl Sophie in There is Always Room for One More.
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