This week is an exciting week for my mother. Today, she turns 65 (Happy Birthday Mom!) On Friday, she officially retires as a Nurse practitioner after 45 years as an RN, BSN, MSN and CRNP. So, as my present to her, I am posting this open letter to her on Facebook: Cynthia McElhaney Barrow Dear Mom, Happy 65th Birthday! And Happy Retirement! I cannot believe you are 65 when you still look like you’re my sister You SOOOOO deserve this opportunity to retire, as you are one of the hardest working people I have ever met! As a nurse (and later Nurse Practitioner), you had to get up well before the crack of dawn, often get up in the middle of the night, deal with doctors, some not-so-pleasant colleagues and I’m sure some crazy patients. You had to deal with constant pressure and still managed to be the BEST MOM EVER! But, as you retire, I want you know how hard I saw you work outside of the office and the OR. HERE is the work I will always remember you for: I remember … …how hard you worked to dry my tears when I came home and told you that the other kids in Kindergarten wouldn’t let me play house because I “talked funny”; …how you stayed home with me and Chris when we lived in Naval Housing, I didn’t know how lucky we were to have a stay-at-home-mom, even if for only a little while; …how hard you worked to sew me a Kimono for a 2nd grade “performance” at Davis Elementary about Asian cultures; …how you made sure I got into “Brownies” (many fond Girl Scout memories)… …how you worked hard (with Dad of course) to paint and completely rebuild 117 Broad Street to give Chris and I a childhood home we will never forget; …how you made us call you the minute we got home from Pennypack…and how you didn’t kill us when you came home to squabbling siblings and a messy house; … how you worked on your weekends to volunteer your time at church as a youth group leader; …how you worked hard at being the BEST Slow Pitch Softball pitcher EVER and what it means to make time for what you love; …how you let me bury my head into your shoulder when my best friend in 4th grade suddenly shunned me and I didn’t know why; …how you worked hard to find the money when I needed new clothes (or at least thought I did) and of course how you let me spend your hard earned money on ghastly neon and other fads; … how you sat at so many of my softball, soccer and basketball games – and let’s not forget Marching Band!; … when we went to the mother/daughter banquet at St. Andrews and you won the floral arrangement because you were the youngest mom. I was so proud! …when you let me “break dance” at a ballet recital and were still proud of me; …how you worked SOOOO hard to get yourself through school – not once, not twice, but THREE times to achieve an incredibly high level of education and expertise; …how you drove me to achieve excellence and “convinced” Dad to send me to a private college – an experience that has forever changed my life for the better; …how you worked all day and then took care of my kids in the evenings when I had to work; …and the list goes on…. There is so much more I can write, but I hope you get the point. You were always there for us even though you probably felt like you werent sometimes.. This is amazing week for you! I am so happy for you and want you to know how VERY MUCH you deserve to enjoy this phase of your life. I am posting this letter to you on Facebook because I want to share with everyone else just how HARD you have worked the last 45 years, both professionally and personally and how very much you are appreciated and loved for it. Love always, Laurie
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:24:41 +0000
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