"DREAMS BECOMING REALITY"

By: TaShonda Sconiers

When we were younger we all had big dreams that were filled with lots of

adventure...right? Some of our dreams consisted of becoming a well-known super hero

that would rescue everyone from evil "bad guys" or being the most beautiful queen in the

world living in a gigantic palace, while other dreams of ours were realistic. As a child I always

dreamed of becoming a nurse. With the help of family, learning from hard times, and God being a part

of my life has helped direct me towards the path of becoming a sustainable nurse as a young

adult.

I am a very family oriented person. Through the many chaotic moments of family

dysfunctions, I have learned many things about life and also many things about myself.

Growing up without a mother and with a father that was barely home, people outside of

my family thought I would not become something or would not make something out of

my life. They were people on the outside trying to look in, not knowing what was really

going on. I was raised by my grandmother and my great-grandmother. They were my

mother and father. As a family, my grandmother, great-grandmother, father (sometimes),

two sisters, brother,and I were close. The children in the house had a lot of

responsibilities while grandma was at work. We had to clean, cook, wash clothes, and

everything else that had to be done while grandma struggled to make sure all of our bills

were paid. Most children really do not want to cook or clean, but when I was young I

had no choice but to do it and looked at it as helping our grandmother out a lot. As a child

the most responsible thing I had to do was take care of my great-grandmother while

grandma was working. Taking care of my great-grandmother was a tough job, but I

enjoyed it. My grandmother did not know it but the responsibilities we were taught to do

at a young age definitely were some sustainable principles that are important to have a

sustainable nursing career. Nursing is a continuously changing career. As a nurse, one

must be willing to learn new things, new strategies, new symptoms, new everything

because it is always changing. So being ready for change is part of the job. Patience is a

virtue and also another important factor pertaining to becoming a sustainable nurse.

Taking care of my great-grandmother allowed me to learn how to be patient. I had to

cater to her wants and needs everyday. Every time I had a chance to sit down she would

yell my name "TTTASHONDA!!!" and I could be sitting directly in front of her. I could

not do anything but shake my head and smile. I love her. FAMILY. When I think about

my family a few words pop into my head INSTANTLY such as Love, hope, kind, generations to

learn from, knowledge, trust, honest, be yourself, one, struggles, achievement, and the list

can go on and on. My family is my backbone!

Without family I don’t think I would have been able to survive some of the

obstacles that life threw my way. On March 17, 2007 at 8:15 a.m. a tragic event

occurred. I was shocked, heart broken, and devastated, basically an emotional wreck when I

learned that my great-grandmother passed away. She meant everything to me. I lived

with her for 18 years of my life. I came to her for advice and she supported me in what

ever it was I did. She believed I could do what ever it was that I put my mind to. I am glad to have had such

a supportive family member as my great-grandmother. To become a sustainable nurse I must have family support.

Maintaining my family's willingness to support my nursing is going to be a daily investment. Always I am

going to give heartfelt thanks for family support, because it involves sacrifice. Even though my great-

ghrandmother is not here physically, I know that her presence is with me and I know she is always cheering me

on to pass the finish line. I really want to cry right

now, but as I think about it I really can not complain because God

allowed her to live an amazing 99 years. She has told me many stories about all the

places she had visited around the world such as Paris, Germany, and New York, just to

name a few. She taught me a lot about life in general. Months after my great-

grandmother’s death I could not control my emotions. I wanted

to forget about everything in the world because I felt as though my heart was ripped out

of my chest while feeling every ounce of pain. Being a nurse dealing with patients and not

getting attached is going to be hard. Strategies for becoming a

sustainable nurse would mean that I must occasionally seek spiritual renewal. Instead of

balling up in a corner when I lose a patient or something doesn’t go right I am

going to have to remind myself why I became a nurse and why my work is important in

order to renew my commitment. When times get tough I am going to have to remember that

helping and caring for others is what I love and I must remember those reasons for my

career that make the struggles worthwhile. It is my passion. If my great-grandmother was

here she would want me to move on and help other people just as much as I helped her

while she was here. I remember her telling me once before to move on. I had a boyfriend

that cheated on me and I came to her like always and she said, “Tashonda don’t worry

about him you need to keep your head in those book and get your lesson.” Life goes on.

Life goes on now, but before God there was no life. Without God absolutely

nothing is possible. If it wasn’t for God life would be non-existent. Fortunately, there is

life. I thank God everyday for giving me a chance to experience life and blessing me with

a great family that could help me cope and deal with tough and tragic events that occur in

my life. When I enter into the nursing field there are going to be nursing stressors. They

can and are most likely going to take a toll on me. To put some of the sustainable nursing

strategies to use I am going to have to ask God to help and allow me keep an open mind,

keep my body strong, able, and enduring. And also to keep my spirit energized and

embracing. Growing up, my sisters and I would have to go to church every Sunday. My

grandmother and great-grandmother were both saved and they wanted the best for us

also. I am very glad that they took us to church so that we too could learn about God and

who he is. God's power is beyond amazing. He is definitely the

foundation of life and everything that surrounds life. He is also the reason why I am

going to become a sustainable nurse.

Sustainable is to supply with necessities or nourishment; to provide for. I strongly

believe that dreams can be nourished into reality. Thanks to God for allowing me to have

such a supportive family that were there for me through the good and the bad times I am

finally able to move on with life. I am moving on towards the direction of living a

sustainable life in order to become a sustainable nurse in the near future.

frm heaven.mp3

porsche (sister)

aaron (brother)

(me of course...trippin')

(grandma and great-grandma)