It’s been a few years, and from time to time Rebecca will come to my mind and I think about the wonderful person she was. I remember starting the nursing program sitting by myself in the corner of the lecture hall. It was only a few days later that Rebecca would sit by me and greeted me every morning. She was always so kind and so positive. We would sort of joke about how little sleep we got the night before or how busy our lives were. Some days when I came late to class she would say, “did you sleep in this morning?” And after I reply, she’d say, “well you’re here now and that’s what matters.” She was always uplifting and encouraging; she somehow turned my days around when I was feeling sour.
I admired her positivity and kindness, as well as her hardiness to bounce back from tough exams. She was especially a gifted leader that had people gravitate to her and she could turn just about anyone into a friend. She was the one who began the class mini-workouts during our breaks or between classes, and after-exam sport get-togethers. I don’t think they continued after she passed.
My last memory of her, and my favorite, was when I had an itch between my shoulders and I couldn’t reach it. She said something to the effect of, “that’s what happens when you get too much muscle, you can’t get that spot when you have an itch!”
There isn’t a day that goes by when I think of her and think, “she would’ve been such a great nurse!”