Tuesday, May 22, 2007

What's A Little Naturally Blonde Girl to Do?


Once upon a time there was a little girl who was so frustrated because she just didn't know what to do with the rest of her life. She went from university to university, changing majors and boyfriends, searching for some meaning in her life. Then, while at the third college, she thought she would take some time off and work in a hospital. After all, there were medical people on both sides of her family. Maybe, just maybe, something will "click." Her brother had joined the Army and was doing courageous and heroic things, like braving basic training in the deep south among water moccasins and ferocious drill sergeants, dangerous deployment overseas, and basically making a man out of himself. She had to do something big, and do it fast! Mia got a job as a nurse's aide in the bone marrow transplant center at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, close to Rutgers where she was going to school and living with her childhood buddy, Lisa. The job fit Mia like a hand in a glove. She loved helping people come to terms with their terminal illnesses, and keeping them as comfortable as possible with her gentle touch and soothing voice. Mia did all the worst jobs in the unit - to help the nurses, and to convince herself that this was the niche in life she was looking for. Once Mia decided she wanted to pursue a career in medicine, she had to find a program and take all kinds of horrible, scary, difficult courses - like organic chemistry, statistics and pharmacology. It was tough, and there were times when the going was rough. Weaker students fell by the roadside, but not my Mia. She organized study groups and worked long hard hours, mastering concepts I can only wonder about. Many students asked Mia for help, and gravitated toward her because of her positive attitude and "over the top, girls!" enthusiasm. And then the big day came...

1 comment:

Kathleen said...

Congratulations to Mia on her graduation and for having the stick to it to see her way through all that has come her way. Congratualtions to you, too, for having raised such a fine girl!