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Old Friends, New Faces |
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It rained most of the day, sometimes so hard it came down in sheets. I stood nervously at the door to the Doctor’s Dining Room at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City hoping that the foul weather would not keep my classmates away. After all, today was a special day, the 30th Reunion of the alumnae of St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1971. Like the men and women of the postal services, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow could keep them away &emdash; 17 hardy souls who came from near and far to renew old acquaintances and friendships. It was a day that exceeded expectations, a day of laughter, reminiscing, and a few tears &emdash; tears of joy. Among the hugs and exclamations of delight as each classmate entered the room were a few worried looks mirroring the thought we all had &emdash; “Have I changed so much no one will recognize me?” That old saying, Once Friends, Friends For Life, is certainly true. I was nervous at first, afraid that I would not have anything meaningful to say to my classmates who meant so much to me during our years together in nursing school. I need not have worried. Just a few minutes together drew us back in time &emdash; it was as though the 30 years were wiped away and we were back in the nursing dorm swapping stories and sharing some of our most personal secrets. Yes, they were the same good friends I had in school &emdash; just new faces to go with married names. Faces that aged gracefully over the past 30 years. Actually, it was amazing how little we had changed aside from weight, new hair styles, and the addition of glasses for three or four of us &emdash; perhaps a few more if all were willing to admit the need for glasses. Through the wonders of ClairolTM most of us were gray-free and we were as vibrant as we were when we were young. But most of all, it was who we were that did not change. I would have recognized my classmates not only by sight, but also by the turn of a phrase or by tone and inflection in voice. As we talked, the years melted away. We caught up on the happenings of the past decades &emdash; families, work, and our personal lives. Photos of family members made the rounds and we swapped snapshots from school days, in the dorm, on the nursing units in the hospital, and in the neighborhood. It took only a few short minutes before we were regaling one another with “war stories” from days gone by. You know, the “I remember whens...”. I cherish those few precious hours we shared. I was young again and with friends who meant so much to me in the past. I reconnected with the closest of classmates &emdash; the three musketeers &emdash; and gained a few new friends. We made a vow to not let these renewed friendships lapse. It’s a vow I know I will keep. There were a few sad moments &emdash; remembering our classmate who died, the three who developed breast cancer, and the two who could not attend because of disability or illness. And saddest of all was how much the hospital had changed since we were students. There was little left of the original floor plan and our dorm had gone the way of so many other buildings in New York City &emdash; demolished to make way for the new. We walked through the darkened halls of closed-off units and remembered special moments we all had shared &emdash; learning to make hospital bed corners, giving that first injection, and dealing with death. In the midst of all the sadness, there was gladness &emdash; gladness that we were together to share these special moments, to celebrate the past, and to look forward to many new tomorrows with old friends.
Janice Spillane, RN, MS; Editorial Director; jspillane@nursingspectrum.com |
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