“…and tell myself that I became a nurse and moved to New York, it would have made me so happy.”
Today Ally sent a photo—her badge from her new job as a critical care nurse at NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn. We are so proud of her persistence in arriving at this day…
When I wrote this piece about Ally upon her graduation from college, one of the strengths that I mentioned was her incredible resilience. Having witnessed her progress over the last 4 years as she made the decision to pursue this dream of becoming a nurse, I can add tenacity to that list.
From the start, completing her prerequisites for nursing school at the local community college, applying to accelerated programs and getting into her first choice, through all of the late nights studying and early morning trips to complete her clinical training, all while being present for her friends in the program, cooking amazing meals for David and me, and caring for herself through her yoga, walks, music, and friendships, she has met and cleared every step and hurdle to this achievement.
And then, this past August, as she studied for her boards, she let us know that she was planning to move to New York City to start her career in a place she’s always wanted to live. As she put it, “I feel like if I could go back in time to my junior year in college and tell myself that I became a nurse and moved to New York, it would have made me so happy.”
So she took fate into her hands, applied for jobs, found a friend who needed a roommate, found an apartment, and landed a job in critical care as she wanted.
She moved to the East Village on November 1 and started her job at NYU Brooklyn this week.
Tenacity.
So David and I are true empty nesters (a term which belies the reality of the amount of “stuff” still in the house), ushering in a new stage for us, but one that includes more conversations about what we want (to do, to watch, to eat) and less laundry.
Ally is navigating subways and busy streets, dodging squirrels by day and rats by night and creating the life she wants with the people she wants.
As David likes to say, “She’s growing a new ring.” And this is likely to be a wide one.
We miss her, she became a welcome presence while she was in school—going to class and clinical, working her externship at Bryn Mawr Hospital, studying in Megan’s room, cooking meals for us, going for long walks and always up for a screening of one of our favorite movies. It’s a change that we’ll all adjust to, but it’s a little raw with Thanksgiving next week and Christmas around the corner, not knowing what kind of time she’ll get to spend with us.
But nothing takes away from the incredible pride and awe we have for her making her life her own and moving toward her dreams. It’s a beautiful thing to watch your child make their own dreams come true.
And though we know this year will bring its challenges, we continue to be inspired by her accomplishments.
As the song says, “If she can make it there, she’ll make it anywhere…”
Well done, Ally. You’re on your way!