Happy Father's Day Dad!

     As father's day approaches I have of course been thinking of my Dad.  Truly I think about him often, but today it has hit me really hard how much I miss him. More than anything I'm sorry that Brandon never had the opportunity to know him.   I realize that the woman I am today is in great part due to my Dad.  I am strong because he always told me I could do or be anything I wanted.  I didn't believe him then.  I didn't believe in myself.  Today I know he was right.  Today I also realize the difficulties he and my mother both had leaving everything they knew to leave communist Cuba to make a better life for themselves.  They believed in the American dream and they found it here in Virginia.
    
     Dad worked very hard in a factory as did Mom to start their family.  After 4 years of living in Virginia and working very hard I came to be.  As a child and young teen I didn't understand just how hard they worked to provide me with a sound middle class up bringing.  It's true I didn't have designer clothing, or live in an upscale neighborhood.  What I did have was food on the table, clothes, records, stereo, my own room in a very nice brick rancher in a middle class neighborhood.  I never wanted for anything that I didn't get. 

     Dad always had great expectations of me.  Sadly I don't think I met those expectations before Dad died.  He never said that of course but I never felt I lived up to what he thought I should become.  Maybe a doctor or lawyer or something like that.  I do think he would be proud to know I did finally become an RN.  I only wish I'd done it sooner so he could have been there at my graduation.  I do feel that even after his death he is still with me.  Dad and his words are still with me, "You have to do, what you have to do."  Simple words that are so very true.

     I know in my heart that Dad is looking down and smiling on me and my family.  I know one day I will be reunited with him and that gives me a great deal of comfort.  Right now, I just miss him.   I wish he were here for me to say these words to, though reality is I probably would not say them to him.  It is much easier to tell this to strangers on the world wide web that it would have been to ever say them to Dad.  Why is that?  So Dad it is here in black and white that I type these words and I pray you can read them or know that I think them.  Happy Father's Day Daddy, I love you and I miss you!

"Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking, ticking, away.."

Just as the lyrics above state, time is ticking away. I truly can't believe how quickly another year has flown by. My family and I have been blessed with so many things this year and we are now looking forward to a Thanksgiving with all of my husband's side of the family...close and extended. We expect to fill our house with 20-30some odd family members and some friends. I haven't figured out the logistics of that many people in the house but one thing is for sure no matter how cold it may be outside it will be toasty warm with body heat inside. At first when my husband suggested hosting for that many people I panicked, I thought there is no way I can feed that many people nor do we have the room. I've solved the feeding part by asking everyone to bring a dish and a few beverages of their choice. The seating part we still have to work out but God willing the weather will be nice and we can enjoy the outdoors as well.

School has been a jumble of stress, joy, eventful experiences and so much more. My grades have been holding up well and our clinical experiences have been very interesting. We have been all over the place seeing all aspects of nursing from hospitals, clinics, schools and health departments. There are countless opportunities for an RN. Even though graduation isn't until May 2010, I've been offered positions at several clinical sights as well as 3 of the home health agencies that I've used for Nickie over the years. I have received several letters of recommendation from professors, nurses and my supervisor at my externship at the local hospital. I never knew I would love being a student nor the nursing field as much as I do.