Family Ties

This week my spouse and child spoke to a class of nursing students at BCIT. This was our 3rd visit. The teacher invited us because she loved our story so much. I shrug my shoulders and think no big deal, it's our life.... until we start to speak.

The class is full of 2o something yr olds sitting quietly. We start by bringing up how me met, the adventure of travelling to Europe, moving out West with only a few belongings. Our friends/family thought we were crazy... and we were! We talk about how we got pregnant.. life is good.! Then we talked about how illness/death affected us, brought our family closer together and what we have taken from the journey. (remember there is a 3.5 yr old drawing pics on the wipe board and dancing around) Makes it very interesting.

This time, there seemed to be a lot of questions about our boy growing up with 2 moms. I forget that this is not the norm because it's a non-issue for us. Our boy has 2 parents that love him so much that just happen to be 2 women. He has a Grandma and a Grandpa, a Nana and a Papa, a Grammy Hawk and Granddad Mark.. all whom are not "blood" related, instead they are chosen family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and tons of friends. There is no shortage of love and support for this child and any more we plan to have I can assure you.

I know that in 45 min we made an impact on these kids. They will be slightly more prepared when working with a patient in the future to be mindful of families of all different kinds. As they build families of their own, I hope that they too find a deep connection that will stay strong in any circumstance. That they will also find a spouse that is loving, supportive, respectful. Be able to build strong friendships, and networks of people that they can count on. I am very grateful for the people I have in my life! I only wish the same for everyone else.

We always want the best for the people we care about the most. We expect the best life possible, unfortunately (and I know what that means) life can throw curve balls at us. That is why I have chosen a career that helps you always put your family first, no matter what.

After you read this, go give someone a hug! Cheers :)
Karen