The other day I accompanied my mother to a doctor’s appointment. While waiting, I noticed a couple of signs taped to a receptionist’s computer screen. They immediately caught my attention.

I introduced myself and told her I was a speech-language pathologist and asked if I could take a picture of the signs.

Then she shared her story. I’ll give you the short version.

She explained that she has a fluency disorder and Bell’s palsy, which affects her ability to smile. Because of this, people often thought she looked unapproachable or angry—even some of her own colleagues.

Some even felt she simply wasn’t trying hard enough to smile.

At one point, it became so challenging that she had to get documentation from her doctor to explain her condition.

Then she told me something that stayed with me.

Her speech therapist helped her become comfortable using the signs to explain her situation. At first, she didn’t want to. She felt embarrassed. But now she uses them all the time.

In fact, she even gave me a couple of my own.

Moments like this remind me that we don’t always see the impact of our work.

But every day, in ways big and small, speech-language pathologists are making a difference.