Interestingly, if you have ever seen one of “Jokoy’s” shows about having a filipino mom and career choice,
(I’ve included a link of Jo koy’s performance here, for reference, and just in case you are in need of a good laugh every now and then… welcome to our culture).
choosing your path after high school is nothing but a mirage...
…and it was one of the best things that have ever happened in my life.
Parents are the major influencers in a child’s career development and career decision-making.
Growing up in a third world country, life was hard.
As early as 5 years of age, I could still vividly remember waking up to the sound of my mom leaving for work as early as 4am just so she can be home by 10 pm so she can help me with my homework.
I barely got a whiff of my dad.
A glance of him laying on bed was all I got and I was extremely cautious not to wake him up knowing that he only gets to sleep an average of 3 hours a day, everyday.
All this hard work, just to make sure we had enough rent money to pay for a 100 sq. Ft room in a run-down, flood prone, home.
It was the very definition of ghetto.
My mom had always told me that “this (nursing) is the best route ”. One, because the profession is stable, second, because you get to help others.
It’s as if she (my mom) knew, from the moment I was born, that I was going to be in the healthcare profession.
Oh I could just imagine what she might have been envisioning the first time she held me in her arms…
Picture my mom… holding this charming, sweet little innocent bubbly face
(do I need to add a few more adjectives to emphasize how lovely I was? Nah? I think you get the picture. ALL babies are undeniably little angels- until they start screaming at you in the middle of night just so they can lovingly turn you into their own personal slaves, and you let them because you love em!)
...thinking, “yup she-gonna be a nurse alright”.
Because we had such limited resources, my parents taught me the value of good education and how the right career path choice could potentially save me from the same hardships my parents had to endure.
Though dictating your child’s career is usually not favored in the western culture... I knew that when my parents enrolled me in a nursing program right out of high school, it was nothing more than an act of great love.
and let me tell you…
I AM SO GLAD I LISTENED!
(There is a reason why listening to your parents, particularly in my case, became the best decision I have ever made is a good thing).
Though the path to becoming a nurse also carried its own challenges, as you can already tell, I fell in love with the profession!
Yes, the profession did provide a steady income but it is NOTHING compared to the joy I get every time I walk in the halls of those hospital corridors...
There is not one single thing that I would’ve change.
When those two letters. “R.N.” were added to my name, I was… transformed into numerous selfless acts that I didn't even know I had.
My scrubs turned into a modified “tear-sponge”...
and I became…
…the cane that helped my patient's stand when they were at their lowest
…the hand that prevented my patient from caving in when they were weak and scared
…the shoulder to family members when their new normal was challenged
…the light in the darkest room.
A simple act of love that started from my parents…
I am now able to share, in my own little way…
When nursing chose me.
