Congratulations Patti!

Yesterday I got a phone call from Patti to tell me that she passed her certification exam in nursing. Not that there was ever any doubt.
What an amazing young woman. She made up her mind a couple of years ago to go to nursing school. So off she went to Conestoga College and applied for the full time Registered Practical Nursing program. Never mind that she already has a full time job and 3 kids who are very active in various activities, a husband and a house to take care of.

It was a huge challenge at times, and of course I didn't make that challenge any easier by moving away. I didn't do a lot but I did help out from time to time. Greg has also been very supportive and a big help.

I should also mention that at times she can be her own worst enemy (alright, she may have gotten that from her mother). Each year the kids school puts on a play. With her background in theatre, she invariably winds up doing the costumes for that as well. The play is presented in December just before Christmas so a huge chunk of her fall goes into designing, finding materials and making costumes for every child in the school. Not an easy task. I know the school appreciates it but I'm not sure they are aware of just what a huge job it is.

After two years, she finally graduated in December 2009, and I was very proud to have been there for that. But at the same time I was so worried about her. She was exhausted but, Patti being Patti, she just carried on.
Now that she's passed her certification exam, she can work, and again, Patti being Patti, she starts this week at Guelph General Hospital. Did I mention that she still has her full time job with Air Canada, and she still has those three kids, the husband and the house?
I honestly don't know how she does it but I know she is looking forward to starting her new second job.

I received a call from her on Saturday. Seems she was standing on the balcony on the 18th floor of her hotel in beautiful downtown Vancouver. When she bid her flights in February, she bid a layover in Vancouver during the Olympics. What a great job - hotel and airfare paid to spend 24 hours at the games. Not a lot of time but just enough to experience the excitement and see the sights. She was also able to get tickets for the men's speed skating. Unfortunately Canada lost but it was a once in a lifetime experience. (well, maybe not in HER world!)
I suppose a mini vacation in the middle of something like that would make it worth her while to keep that job going.
Since she started her nursing education, she has had a few opportunities to use her training on board aircraft. One of those time was when Meghan and I were travelling with her and we were on our way back from a layover in Las Angeles. (Okay, so she's not the only one who benefits from her job with Air Canada). In the middle of the night on this flight, a woman became ill and Patti was assisting a registered nurse who happened to be on the flight. The other flight crew are supposed to know what to do but it was obvious that they were a little overwhelmed and were very happy to let Patti take her place alongside the nurse, as they worked to ensure this woman was okay until they could make an emergency landing in Denver, Colorado.
It's a really odd experience to watch your children doing adult jobs. We always think of them as our 'kids' but when you see them up there doing jobs you can't even conceive of, it's an amazing mix of pride and awe. How on earth did this competent, mature person ever result from my attempt at child rearing? I think most of the time it's more good luck, than good management.
I remember having that conversation with one of my old bosses. His son was working for the summer on a swing line doing repairs to the outside of a high rise apartment building. We talked about the first time he drove by and his baby boy was up there doing a man's job. It's a remarkable feeling.
I may not have always done the right thing raising her, and there are a few regrets, as I'm sure there are for most parents. How could I have done a better job? What should I have done differently? My list is lengthy but in spite of my shortcomings, she turned out wonderfully
and I am incredibly proud of her. Lloyd is also very proud of his 'daughter' , even if they are not really related. You know what the old saying says "Any one can be a father. It's takes a someone special to be a dad". In this case I thinks it's true.