Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Mentor

There will always be folks who cross your path and are remembered with a great deal of fondness. I received a card in the mail that was totally unexpected. It was from a person I have not heard from in quite some time. I know her because she served as my instructor for a graduate school rotation at St. Joseph's Hospital in Milwaukee. Shortly thereafter, she hired me as the Director of Nursing for Critical Care, partly because - I think - we had a past positive working relationship. She assigned to me the job of implementing the first Automated Documentation system in the country way back in 1988. She said the desire to do well was really important, because you can always learn the ropes. When she retired, I think I convinced her a dog would make great company and she listened to my advice. I've only known two people in school and work that have had such a positive impact on me. I always had the feeling they really wanted me to succeed and had my best interests at heart. She was one of them and the other was a professor of biological science at Florida State University. I have remained in contact with him over the years. The card I received was a congratulations on my publications and New Yorker Eustace Tilley contest win this year. A little write up was in the summer edition of the Marquette University Magazine. I was so thrilled to think she noticed it, but that she wanted me to know she noticed it was even more heartwarming. I'm so lucky to have crossed paths with such wonderful people. Wonder if it will happen again? Or maybe I'd like and hope to think I was able to have that kind of affect on someone too.

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