Somebody asked: “You’re a nurse? That’s cool, I wanted to do that when I was a kid. How much do you make?”

“HOW MUCH DO I MAKE?  I can make holding your hand seem like the most important thing in the world when you’re scared. … I can make your child breathe when they stop. … I can help your father survive a heart attack. … I can make myself get up at 5 a.m. to make sure your mother has the medicine she needs to live. … I work all day to save the lives of strangers. … I make my family wait for dinner until I know your family member is taken care of. … I make myself skip lunch so that I can make sure that everything I did for your wife today is charted. … I make myself work weekends and holidays because people don’t just get sick Monday thru Friday. … Today, I might save your life. …  How much do I make? All I know is, I make a difference. “