A Practice Owner’s Wishlist: What I Really Hope for My Team This Holiday Season

There is something about the end of the year that slows the world down just enough for us to see what matters. In veterinary medicine, we spend the months moving from appointment to appointment, supporting clients through their hardest moments, solving problems that are rarely simple, and giving more emotional energy than we often acknowledge. By the time the holiday season arrives, the workload has not eased, but the meaning feels easier to see.

As a practice owner, this is the time of year when I look around my hospital and think about what I truly want for my team. It is not wrapped in a bow or placed under a tree. It is not something money can buy. My wish list is made of the things that carry us through both the busy seasons and the quiet ones. The things that make this profession sustainable. The things that remind us that veterinary medicine is not only a job. It is a calling built on care, trust, and an extraordinary amount of heart.

This is what I wish for my team this holiday season.

I wish you rest that feels restorative, not rushed.

Real rest. The kind that lets your shoulders drop, your breathing slow, and your mind unclench from the mental load you carry for pets, clients, and each other. You give so much of yourselves every day. My hope is that you find moments during this season that refill what the year has taken.

I wish you confidence in your own clinical voice.

Veterinary medicine can be loud. There are guidelines, protocols, second opinions, and the constant hum of comparison. I want each of you to feel strong in your medical judgment and capable in your decisions. Confidence does not come from perfection. It comes from practice, intention, and knowing you have a team that stands with you.

I wish you moments of joy in the work you do.

The quiet victories. The cases that go well. The puppy breath. The senior cat who finally eats after a difficult week. The client who says thank you in a way that stays with you. These small joys are the fuel that keeps this profession warm through the coldest seasons.

I wish you support you never have to ask for.

Support that shows up before you reach a breaking point. Support that sounds like another team member stepping into the room with you. Support that feels like someone taking something off your plate because they see you are carrying too much. You give this to our clients every day. You deserve it too.

I wish you permission to be human.

Mistakes do not define you. Hard days do not define you. Needing help does not define you. What defines you is the compassion you offer, the effort you give, and the care you bring into this hospital every day. Being human is not a weakness. It is the reason clients trust you with their animals.

I wish you a sense of belonging that lasts all year.

A team is more than a group of people who share a clinic. It is a place where you feel known, valued, and understood. My hope is that you feel that belonging here. Not only during the holidays, but in the unpredictable months that follow.

I wish you pride in the work you do and the profession you chose.

Veterinary medicine is demanding. It is also extraordinary. You are part of something that improves lives, strengthens families, and makes kindness visible in a world that needs more of it. I hope you feel the weight of that pride in the best way.

I wish you a season that gives you room to reflect and reset.

More than anything, I want this time of year to offer a moment of pause. A moment to look at how far you have come, how much you have grown, and how many lives you have touched. The holiday season is not about perfection. It is about gratitude and hope.

As a practice owner, there is no greater gift than the privilege of working beside people who care this deeply. My holiday wish list is simple, but it is real. I want you to feel valued. I want you to feel supported. I want you to feel proud of the work you do.

And if Santa is listening, I hope he brings every veterinary team the practical gifts we dream about, too. Updated ultrasound machines, software that feels like second nature, dental equipment that never breaks, label printers that work on the first try, and enough thermometers to survive the season. Practical joy at its finest!