This might sound foreign to a lot of people but I really do enjoy my job. I’ve  celebrated my one year anniversary at my school this month. It came and passed without fanfare or excitement and that’s ok. I’ve taken on a few more responsibilities since my favorite co-worker up and retired on me last month.

I enjoy just about all my coworkers which include paraprofessionals, teachers, administration staff and a couple of other nurses. I know the staff of classrooms I’m always in and out of trust me as a nurse and that means so much to me.

I feel I’ve grown as a professional this past year. I learned a lot from my now retired co worker. I can’t think of a better nurse to have been paired with as a new school nurse. The students are always teaching me new things about themselves and about myself. Just when I think I’m confident and I’ve got a good handle on things; something happens to shake things up, and I’m eager to learn from every situation. In my opinion, as a nurse you should never stop being open to learning something new.

In the schools I trained in (up in Harlem), asthma was the big worry for students. Here where I work, seizures are the big worry. I remember last year seizures were something I was not comfortable with at all. I don’t think one ever becomes comfortable with someone having a seizure no matter how many times you witness it. This year I feel much more confident in that situation.  I don’t know it all, far from it. But I know I can handle the situation when it arises.

Working as a nurse with such medically fragile students is not something I ever, ever envisioned for myself. If you would have told me this job would’ve been mine I would have laughed at you and called you delusional. Funny how God works things out.

This month was 2 years since my father in law passed away.  And I can honestly say we all miss him terribly. Chick was a great man and a great father. I loved him and treated him like my own father having known him over 30 years.

His nickname and name he asked anyone to call him was “Chick”. We all loved calling him Chicklet. And he would smile when we did. I can still hear his voice when I called on the phone always sounding glad that you called and always asking how you were with a sincere, caring manner. I still remmber the last conversation I had with him. I was just hired by an agency to do chart abstraction (putting information from paper charts into a computer). It was my first full time job since Thomas was a baby. He was so happy for me. It was really nice because that’s the was Chick was he would never hesitate to celebrate something good that happened to you.

Chick really was one of the great ones. I know my mother in law misses him more than we do. I know we have our memories but those can never compare to having the real deal in front of you.

Chick had dark hair, an olive complexion  and stunning blue eyes. People always remembered him because how nice of a guy he was and of course those eyes. I remember being mistaken for his actual daughter instead of daughter in law one time when we were out and about because I too have blue eyes. It was a sweet compliment.

He loved, loved his grandchildren. When my kids were small they would climb all over him and he never minded. He always kept ice cream and chocolate syrup in the house just for them. He was very patient with them and was just an all around wonderful Grandpa, one wouldn’t expect any less from Chicklet.

I know he’s with God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He’s in heaven and I have this hope that heaven is all it should be for Chick and all the others who have gone before him.

I miss you “babe”