A Win for Our Family

You and I went to the same college, but we had completely different experiences. So how was it for you?

You were probably about three when I started nursing school, so I was trying to manage having a child and attending college, and that was very difficult. One of my instructors looked at me and she said, "You're just not nursing material. I don't think this is for you. You should look for something else." And that's when I really kind of stopped whining and complaining and said, "Let's get about the business of getting this done. I'm going to show you." I'd wake up at four in the morning and I'd study what was on the agenda for the day, get you up at six, get you to school. From eight until about noon or 1 p.m., I would be at the university, and then I'd go to the library and I wouldn't pick you up until 6 p.m. when the daycare said they were going to start charging money. And I was very proud of myself when I was a nurse and it didn't matter what she said.

I remember the day you graduated. I was just as excited for you as if it was for me because it was a win for our family. I think people see you traveling to England and to Thailand and graduating with your doctorate's degree and then they forget we lived in a trailer.

A two room trailer.

Yes.

When you were a baby, you were wearing your last diaper and the car was on empty and I had $10 in the world, and there's a decision that needs to be made. Am I going to buy diapers or am I going to buy gas? I was like, "I don't want to live like this." I didn't like having the electricity disconnected. So it was figuring it out and trying to stand on my own two feet.

My college experience, on the other hand, certainly different. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a nurse, and I failed and I failed hard and miserable. But now I realize it wasn't time for me to become an RN. And then I became an LPN, which taught me how to never give up. And then when I went back into nursing school, I felt more prepared and then I graduated and became a real nurse. I love being a nurse because it gives me room to grow. I can be myself. What kind of nurse do you think I'm going to be in 10 years?

I think that you're a natural leader and you're able to look at situations and come up with a process and make decisions easily and quickly. But I think where you struggle is you don't want anybody to tell you what to do.

That is a struggle.

In order to be a good leader, you have to sometimes be a good follower, because as you're following the right leaders, you learn things. What did they do to get to where they're going? And use that as a path. So you have to step back a moment and let people lead you.

I'm grateful for you figuring out how to be a parent and figuring out how to love yourself and be good to yourself while also being the best mom ever. And then you just so happened to be a superhero nurse. I'm just very grateful.

Thank you, Tasha.