The invitation just appeared on the.......

dining room table. Placed there with the same nonchalant attitude that she has shown throughout her Certified Nursing Assistant class this year. I had to pull information out of her just to get a glimpse of her clinical experiences..."Well I was showering this 95 year-old man last week and he said 'I have to go boom-boom!' and then he pooped all over!"

This couldn't possibly be the same young woman who does not allow us to discuss "poop" on any level inside our house?

Could it?

Yes, it could.

Outside of her family circle she is confident, caring and undeterred by flying poop from a 95 year-old man in a shower, thus allowing her to be a good CNA and eventually a dedicated registered nurse.

For background information....one of the many positive things that came out of my cancer journey was the instilling in my daughter a desire to become a nurse. We were blessed to have awesome nurses care for me both in the hospital and at our home, many of which took extra time to explain what they were doing and instruct the then-11-to-12-year-old curious girl.

Now that little girl has grown into a beautiful young woman, who is graduating high school and continues to have her sights on that career.

To that end she has achieved a Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate as a high school senior and last Tuesday I proudly and teary-eyedly sat at her “Pinning” Ceremony with my Snippet’s camera and a bouquet of flowers in hand....


along with my sister and her husband (her Godparents) who, at the last minute, were also able to attend.

There was a slide presentation and several speakers who shared their experiences about working alongside the students....


We sat straight up in our chairs, beaming, as she was “pinned” making her an official Certified Nursing Assistant.


Then there was a celebratory reception with punch....


and cake....


and had-to-have mom photos for me...


all of which we followed up by taking her for a quick lunch before she drove back to high school to attend her last class of the day.

I am so very proud of this young woman, who, with a reading disability and a sometimes jumbled childhood (divorce, a sick mom), has accomplished these first steps along the path to her has-known-for-years-what-she-wants-to-be career!

persevere my dear persevere