Nancy S. Chase
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| My first Christmas... Isn't she beautiful? (I would like to think I got a bit cuter with age... hopefully) |
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| I think I spent most of my 1st year in this backpack. |
My mother is one of those amazing people that everyone looks up to and goes to for advice... literally everyone including my best friends. She is the person you want to be at your side, advocating for you, giving you the confidence to do more and holding your hand when you fall. It appears as though in my appreciation for her I have followed in her footsteps from going to The University of Miami (Go CANES), becoming a nurse, to moving to the fantastic city of San Francisco.
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| Hugging my mom after my graduation from The University of Miami |
Although she never once pressured or even suggested I go into nursing I chose to be a nurse because of her. She started at an intensive care nursery and then when she married my father she moved to New Hampshire and was the manager of the maternity unit at one of the nearby hospitals. From there she held a variety of roles in outreach, consulting, and expanding the extent of care available to children in New Hampshire. I was always so proud of her, if she were late to pick us up I always said that there must be a sick baby that she was caring for. However, the most important reason why I was so proud of her and why I also wanted to be a nurse was for what she did outside of her everyday job. She was the person called out onto the soccer field if someone was hurt, friends call for advice or she will be the person they bring to appointments. She takes on my grandparents health and if she can't be at an appointment will send questions and call and talk with the doctors herself. What my parents instilled in my sister and me is to be there for others. After growing up with my mother as the remarkable role model that she is I realized early in high school that I want to be there for people the way is. She is everything you look for in a nurse and I can only hope that I am half that for my patients, friends, and family.
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| Skiing at Squaw |
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| In Seattle after running a half marathon in honor of our dear family friend Betsy. |
I hope that nursing is not the only characteristic that she passed along to me. She is effortlessly beautiful and elegant, hardworking, and has an amazing sense of adventure. The adventure part I am pretty sure I have as I too moved across the country and have an equal appreciation and enthusiasm for roller coasters, bridge jumping and any other take your breath away activity. At nearly 58 she went bridge jumping with my sister, cousins, and I. And because she isn't special enough she did for a reason. My 19 year old cousin had to have his baby toe removed because it had a cancerous lesion and so to show her love and support for him she jumped with us (at low tide non the less).
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| My parents at their wedding reception... 31 years ago! |
So here is to you Mom... I could have written so much more but you are already probably blushing and embarrassed that I published this much. I am so honored and lucky to have such a beautiful, caring, and adventurous women as my mother. xoxo
Love,
Abby
