Sunrise
Photo by Dr. Deanna Tickle
Sunrise on the beach at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, was a "best" moment for Dr. Deanna Tickle.
Running late on the way to a meeting one autumn night and already grumpy, Dr. Trae Cutchin got stuck in traffic.
"It was just crawling, and I was going up a hill and pounding on my steering wheel, trying to rage everybody in front of me to move faster," he remembered.
Reaching the top of the hill, he saw at last what was causing the backup. In the middle of the next intersection was a car upside down, surrounded by rescue vehicles. Cutchin's mood instantly shifted.
"I thought that as bad as my day had been, it was nothing compared with that person's," he said. "I became very calm at that moment."
That moment, more than 12 years ago, marked a turning point in Cutchin's mindset that has held to this day. And it helped inspire a message board conversation he started with colleagues at the Veterinary Information Network, an online community for the profession and parent of the VIN News Service. Cutchin titled the discussion "What's the best thing to happen to you today?"
"No matter how bad anyone's day is," he wrote, "there is always a little good in it. Find it. Relate it."
An instant hit, the "best thing" conversation has been running continuously since June 2013, reaching 6,701 posts to date.
Like Cutchin, a number of veterinarians contribute to the thread regularly, giving it the flavor of a gratitude journal. What any individual considers "best" varies, but there are common themes: time spent in nature, picking berries and eating homegrown vegetables, scoring a solid night's sleep or a nap, personal finance wins, being cuted-out by animals, receiving expressions of appreciation from clients and, naturally, relieving illness and suffering in patients.
Cutchin, who owns a veterinary practice in Georgia, said in an interview that he wasn't always a find-the-silver-lining kind of person. A few years before he started the "best thing" discussion, he hit a low. The economy in recession, he was worried about money, and his partner had to take a job that separated the couple for long periods at a time. Substance abuse followed. It was in recovery that Cutchin learned about and began cultivating the practice of gratitude.
In his debut post to the message board discussion, he shared: "So far the best thing in my work day is that I got to do a house call. It's not the house call that was good. It was the hour away from the phones and people pulling at my elbow and the nice drive on a beautiful, sunny day."
Colleagues chimed in with similar appreciations of moments of tranquillity.
"Listening to the rain fall on my roof. Crickets and frogs in the background and no other human noise," offered Dr. Kathleen Connor in Virginia.
"I woke up this morning to a fingernail moon, stars, a mild breeze, an owl hooting and very cold, dewy grass on my bare feet. And my new puppy taking care of business outside," wrote Dr. Lorna Sifford in Illinois.
frog in rain
From North Carolina, Dr. Deanna Tickle said, "I saw a beautiful sunrise on the beach at Kitty Hawk ..." and shared a photo of it.
Dr. Eric Vance in Texas told about an outing with the family. "Took the kids (and wife) hiking yesterday and saw pitcher plants growing in the wild! It was awesome," he wrote. "Both kids stuck a finger inside the pitcher part and reported back that 'it feels like a plant.' "
Many celebrate the fruits of nature, like Dr. Patrick Sage of Illinois, who wrote, "Got to pick the first blueberries of the season and gave them to our awesome receptionist — it made my day to make her happy!"
Some rejoice over debts paid off. Also on the personal finance front, Dr. Ryan Llera of Ontario related how good service saved him from losing $4,900 to theft. "[M]y bank just stopped fraud on my credit card!"
Another kind of lucky break was reported by Dr. Lynda Bacon in Georgia: "My husband found my keys, which had been missing for a little over a month."
Veterinarians also share amusing moments, like this one from Dr. Robert Jon Amos in North Carolina involving a Walker hound at the clinic having its neuter surgery incision checked. During the appointment, Amos removed the dog's Elizabethan collar — a post-surgery protective device that pets tend to dislike.
blueberries
"When I finished the exam, the dog walked across the room to where his E-collar was lying on the floor, slipped his head back inside, and walked back to me wearing the E-collar. The owner and I just stood there with our jaws on the floor. This dog made my week!"
Dr. Janet Dornhoff in Illinois was charmed by a scene she spied at a zoo.
"I got to watch an aardvark dreaming! She was conked out in her den, and first her little foot was twitching, then her mouth started moving, then her tongue flicked out a few inches a couple of times. It was just like watching a puppy or kitten dream!"
As might be expected with doctors, a common source of best things are fortunate outcomes with ill or injured patients.
Dr. Andrea Sobon in Wisconsin reported: "My favorite crazy Lab patient who had scabies in February, Anaplasma in May (really sick) and acute severe pancreatitis last week and was almost euthanized made a miraculous recovery and is doing great today."
Dr. Leila Marcucci in California made this wry post: "I just found out that the cockatiel I was treating before going to a conference is doing great! I thought his tail was heading towards necrosis, but it turned around and healed after I left the state :-)"
owl dog moon
Finding solace around the difficult job of performing euthanasia also comes up frequently.
"Had three feline euthanasias today. This is not a good thing per se, but what was so humbling is that all three were really sick, and despite the tremendous amount of grief the owners must have been feeling, they felt compelled to stop and look me in the eye and sincerely thank me for my compassion in guiding them through their decision ..." wrote Dr. Georgina Crawford of Virginia.
The joy of proper rest is another cause for celebration, such as this post from Cutchin: "Got the first good night of sleep I have had in a week, which means I didn't wake up at 4 or 5 a.m. with weird tunes playing in my head or thinking about business."
On a New Year's Day, Dr. Ken Cox in Florida offered this message of appreciation: "The best thing that happened to me today was being able to stay home and relax. Thanks to all our local ER doctors who are working this holiday season."
The "best thing" thread amassed so much upbeat energy that it became its own source of delight for Dr. Rebecca Grieve in Michigan, who wrote: "Best thing for today: coming back here after a while and reading everyone's positive and heartfelt entries. Thanks!"