That is a photo of my daughter and I. We clean up well, no? This was taken a few months ago at my graduation ceremony. I graduated my with a master's degree in nursing (note the sash there around my neck.) I don't say these things to be self-important. I am just damn proud. It was effing hard work.
Anyway, as I was crossing the stage she ran from her seat and jumped all over me. "I'm soo proud of you MOMMA!!" She kissed and hugged me and held me tight. Just as I had done for her at her ballet recital a few weeks before. Alas, those photos were fuzzy. So this is what you get.
This job of being a nurse, it is like no other. We have all seen life and death materialize in front of us. Our stories can take years to tell. Even then we wouldn't be done. It is not like being part of a club, it is part of you. It is part of me, just as much as being a Mom and Mrs. Hall. My nursing backstory is long and liquid. But I don't want to talk about that now. I will later, but not now. If you want to read how I feel about my job. Go here. Or back to here.
I want to talk about her. That girl there, all decked out in her finest dress with her cute sparkly shoes. All of her choosing. I want to talk about how I went back to school because of her. I wanted to be as ecstatic at work as I am with her and her brother. I was done being the nurse that I was. I chose to grow and get bigger. Just like she does every day.
My main function is to be her hero. To be the person she thinks I am. To provide inspiration so that someday she will chase down her own dreams. She and her brother, my beautiful son, inspire every breath I take. Both in and out.
These kids are my everything. Everything else comes in a distant fifth.
And now that I have the title of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I hope to teach her what passion and privilege really is. I want to teach her about the privilege of service.
There is no greater service than the service of others.
That's my personal motto there. I should print up t-shirts!
:)
Mrs. Hall
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