Snow Lady/Snow Baby

        We had a big snow and the South is paralyzed.  I have four wheel drive and can get around O.K.  Back in the old days, I always got to the hospital, but one time someone brought a child to the office for a well baby check.  That didn’t make much sense to me.

          Nowadays I am a gentleman farmer Doctor, though.  We have hospitalists and I am an outpatient Doc.  It is the first time I ever recall it, but Corporate called off work for the day.  It was the right decision.  The odds that someone could get hurt trying to come in are higher than the odds I could help them today. 

        Years ago one old Doc told me he always worried when it snowed.  He was afraid his people would figure out they didn’t need him!  That might happen to me too, but the idea is to work yourself out of a job if you can.

        Me and Marfar chased the snow all winter.  We were too late to see it when we visited Tommy and too early when we went to see Marie.  Ms Marfar says it is a sign I need a day of rest, so I guess I am resigned to eat gumbo and pick her favorite tunes all day.  It is a tough job, but I promised.  

         Ms. Marfar is the Snow Lady, but today I want to tell you about Snow Baby.  Twenty years ago we had a big snow one day, and I had a new baby in the nursery.  I enjoyed snow days and weekends, ’cause all the coat and tie crowd stayed home.  Instead of paperwork duties, you spent your time with patients and families. 

          I checked this little girl in the nursery.  She was a cutie; had a full head of downy hair that stood straight up.  She looked about like a new born chick.

         I sat in the room with the family for a minute and drank a cup of coffee.  Outside, big snowflakes were falling.  We watched for a moment.

           “She’s fine, just as pretty as can be.  Look at all that snow, I’m gonna call her Snow Baby.”  The name stuck.  The child came to see snow as a celebration of her birthday, and was school age before she realized any other baby on the planet might have been born that day.  Whenever I saw her, be it as Doc or at school function, I never called her by anything but Snow Baby.

        Snow Baby was by the office not long ago for a physical for Nursing School.  “You sure have grown up mighty pretty, kid.  I knew you were a keeper from the get-go.  Say you’re going to nursing school?”

        “Yes sir.”  

        “That’s great.  Sure is a need.  You’ll never be out of work.”

        “That’s what Daddy says, too.”

        I signed off on the form and handed it back to her.  “Make sure they make a copy up front.  Gotta be able to prove I checked you.”

        “Shoot, Dr. B you’re the only doctor I’ve ever had.  Who else would a done my physical?”

        “Hm.  I guess you’re right.  I’m glad you’re gonna be a nurse.   Maybe you can look after me in the Nursing Home.  There ain’t but one Snow Baby.  I don’t trust just anyone, you know.”

        “Heck, Dr. B.  You ain’t anywhere near old enough to be in the nursing home, but you know I’d look after you.”

        “You always were a good kid.”

       Being a country Doc is not a get rich quick scheme but it has its rewards.  I wouldn’t trade places with some insurance guy.  When you have the honor to look after someone as fine as Snow Baby, you realize your career had some meaning, at least in your little corner of the world.  He might make a million bucks a year, but I got to be Snow Baby’s Doc, a privilege no executive perks could ever trump.

        Well, Marfar calls and I gotta go.  She wants me to try ‘White Christmas’ on the guitar.  My singing voice is more akin to Bob Dylan with a bad cold than Bing Crosby, but my job today is to make the lady of the house happy.  Put on some gumbo and a pot of coffee, Snow Lady, I’m off for the day.

Dr. B

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