A pleasant surprise

I work with a doctor who is notoriously known for being gruff, rude, mean, snappy, sarcastic, and tough....and SHE'S only 5' tall!!!

I say these things not talking behind her back, but in front...or rather, straight from her mouth. She knows how she comes across and is not phased by it at all. She'll admit to being this way, and in some ways is proud of it.

She has been the director of the PICU forever...and can definitely get things done her way when she wants to!!

So it came as a COMPLETE surprise to me yesterday when she gave me a gift!! A real, Christmas present, wrapped in a bag. OK, it wasn't wrapped...but it was in a bag...the one from the store...but still!

She gave me a L'Occitane beauty kit...a nice one!! (Yes, cheep-o me looked it up, and it cost $39 on the website!)

The funny part to the gift is that she has NO idea what my name is!! Yes, she went out and bought me a gift. Yes, she has worked with me for the past six years. But, NOPE, she has NO idea what my name is! She would just rather call me "nurse".

And so that's what she did! We were at the meeting I go to every Tuesday and she was passing out the gifts she brought a few of us (a book on God for the chaplan, a book on patient's near death experiences for social worker, a necklace for the child life specialist, etc). As she passed my gift, she told the woman sitting next to me, "Pass this to the extremely hard working nurse that makes these meetings run smoothly every Tuesday!"

I wanted to laugh, but I was seriously in shock, so I refrained. Not in shock that she didn't know my name....shock that she got a gift for me!!! And a little shocked that she noticed how smoothly I can run those meetings (she really doesn't give out compliments...ever!)

So I guess the Holiday spirit is in all of us....even the gruff, snappy, sarcastics docs....and the 'no name' nurses!!!

Here's to a Happy Holiday....and getting some great surprises!!! Have you received any gifts yet this year that have pleasantly (or unpleasantly!?) surprised you??