The thing I’ve always envied about my sister Nancy is that she’s always known what she wanted to do. I’m in my sixties, and I still wonder what I’ll do if I grow up. I’m kinda giving up on that one.

But for as long as I can remember, Nancy has always wanted to be a nurse. Always. So when it came time for college, she went in for nursing, and came out with her RN, or as I refer to it, “Real Nurse”, And after college, she went into the field, first in northern Massachusetts, then for nearly a decade in Greenwich CT, where she made a number of friends, and finally at Emerson Hospital in Concord.

She just really enjoyed taking care of people. I remember talking with her about it a couple of years ago, and she lit up talking about the rewards of being able to help someone, to make a difference. As here seniority grew, she bacame a charge nurse and preceptor, responsible for training new nurses.

About five years ago, the Boston Globe ran a special “Salute to Nurses“, and she was one of the nurses honored:

I witnessed superb care of an elderly patient who can’t advocate for herself. Nancy teaches new nurses while taking excellent care of patients.

Nancy’s expertise was a lot of help when we were dealing with my mother’s illness. She was able to explain what was going on, and advocate better for Mum, and in turn, going through that experience as a family member probably made her a better nurse.

But nursing is hard, physical work, and time flows on. Nancy’s decided to retire, and tomorrow is her last day. She and her husband are birders, and she’s been so looking forward to the Spring Migration.

I just wanted to say I’ve been incredibly proud of her all these years, and I wish her all the joy in the world for her retirement.