Tender new growth requires
the right soil
strong support and
a good dose of sunshine
My soil was
my family and
my community
My supports were
role models and
early life experience
The sunshine I was exposed to was
kindness
teaching
firmness
care
from the nurses in my life
Three of my role models were
our community’s public health nurse, Mrs. Allen
our family's cousin, Maxine, and,
a favourite community member, Stella
Mrs. Allen was the Public Health nurse
for our town’s prairie region,
delivering care and vaccinations to us all.
I’m sure she did much more than that
however at age five, and younger, I only saw
a tall, well coifed woman in a trim navy blue uniform.
Efficient and always welcomed in our home.
Maxine, a cousin who lived with us for a time.
I remember watching her prepare for work,
donning the stiff white uniform of the day,
black banded nurses cap, and sensible shoes.
She transformed from my cousin, to a nurse who had
her own car, and travelled to Regina to work.
Further enhancing her image, and
showing me that nurses travel with their work, and
can be independent, taking work in Australia
via the Queen Mary II, a grand ship on the Canard line,
coming home a year later through Egypt.
Stella, a good and kind friend of our small town,
gave people allergy shots when needed and
was the ‘go to’ person with health questions.
These were but three women
who showed me
how to be a nurse,
long before I knew
‘what I wanted to be when I grew up’.
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream,
a dream you dream together is a reality.”
- John Lennon
2 comments:
Sue, this is a nice tribute to the nurses in Milestone at that time.
I do not remember Maxine wearing a uniform and driving to work in Regina from our house in Milestone. Interesting, which events from childhood are remembered by different members of our family.
Thanks Jan,
This is a memory I have had for many years. And maybe only occurred one time.
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