Young people

It's been a really busy week and I have a huge team of young people working with me in the pharmacy. It is hard but I need to maintain a certain standard for these young team to emulate. It is very heartening to see young people who wants to emulate you and follow you into the profession even though the work is so hard. They get into huge debts by borrowing in order to pay those exhorbitant college fees. The work is so rewarding though it often doesn't feel like it especially when a patient is screaming at you but to be able to handle any situation is what makes it so worthwhile. On Friday I had the pleasure of working with an intern, a second year pharmacy student who is a recent immigrant from Vietnam. I already have as cashier, a young man who was originally from Myanmar and he aspires to go to Pharmacy school this Fall. Then, guess who came to visit, Chris, a final year Pharmacy student. Wow!
My hope is restored, I must play my part, to be a shining example for the next generation. In a week I celebrate a birthday and after almost 35 years as a Pharmacist, I am very happy, knowing that in spite of the tremendous work load, there are actually young people who wants to be a Pharmacist. The graduating class in the University of Southern California is almost 200 per year. As Americans grow older, we would need everyone in the graduating classess of all the Pharmacy schools.
The week capped off with an email from my sister in law forwarding to me a youtube video of her daughter's, one of my nieces, video of their school's participation in a New Year's day parade in London. The Santa Monica High School marching band was invited to participate in a parade in London over the New Year. We are so used to marching bands, it must be a treat for London to see them up close and in person. I was so heartened when I watched the video, tears came to my eyes. There must be over a hundred students, my niece told me, they brought their school's security guard with them to watch over them when they were over there.
I recieved another email from another brother in Canada, his daughter is teaching English in South Korea. I pray daily for these young people, in the words of Jesus, 'Father, these children (meaning all of us) You have given Me, do not let anyone pluck them from My hands.'