Two decades ago my doctor moved from Ontario to the United States. Back then, many Ontario doctors were not happy with the Canadian health care system. Some decided to head south to the United States where they only had to deal with insurance companies.

When the word got out that my doctor was leaving, there was a huge hue and cry in the village and surrounding countryside. There were letters in the local paper. There were personal pleadings to the doctor. But the time approached and we all knew that his decision was final.

Some people in the community organized a farewell evening for the doctor. They rented the church hall and brought in refreshments and a cake. There was a book to be signed to express good wishes. Coffee and tea were organized.

The night of the reception I was astonished to see 50 people at the church door awaiting the start of the event. After the doors were opened, the line kept growing. At an appropriate time there were some speeches from local dignitaries and important people. There were lots of hugs and tears.

All this came back to me as I read the articles and letters about the departure of a doctor from Grey Bruce Health Services. The reactions of people are perfectly normal and expected. We have been here before.

One of the realities of life is that there are certain people with whom we engage our lives deeply. Physicians are one such group of people. Think about it for a minute. We allow our doctors into the closest and most private, intimate moments of our lives.

Doctors can be present at our birth. They monitor and support all our childhood illnesses. They see us through first dates, getting our driver’s license and all the high drama of our teenage years. They attend the birth of our children, the death of our parents and when the time comes, they are present when we reach the end of our own life’s journey.