All That Matters When I'm Gone

At my grandmother's funeral, I saw many family members that I haven't seen in a long time. "Where are your children?", many asked because being 38 and married, it's assumed that I should have some babies by now. My Uncle Lloyd said to me, "You've got to have at least a little girl, she will take care of you when you are old".

Fast forward to this past Thursday morning, riding the Metro North train to work, I decided to listen to my favorite entertainer of all time, Michael Jackson. I've been studying for my next Microbiology exam and needed a break and some inspiration. Michael's "Keep the Faith" and "Man in the Mirror" always get me back on track.

As I was watching a performance of Man in the Mirror on YouTube, I thought, I can't believe he's not here anymore. I've never met him but it feels like I've known him my entire life. Unfortunately, Michael is gone but his music lives on and I'm sitting here on the Metro North being inspired by it. What will my life's work say about me?

My Pseudo-Sister

A day after coming home from church
I'm on the right.

They say you don't get to choose your family but that's not completely true. You see, I have an older sister, but she's not really my sister because she chooses not to be.

I know of her, but I don't know her. We used to live together but now I don't where she lives. I don't know her phone number, I don't know her husband and neither do I know any of her children, or even how many children she has.

What I Do Know
From what I've been told, my father was married to her mother and they had a child. They got divorce. My father re-married to my mother and had my brother and I.

At the airport in Barbados
My brother is on her hip and I'm on the right.

The Day I Met Her
It's funny how you can remember certain events regardless of how many years have gone by. We were living in The Bronx at the time and the movie Superman was premiering on television. Just a few minutes before the movie started, my Dad came through the door with this beautiful, dark-skinned, skinny girl. Her eyes were pinched in the corners like an Asian and her skin was silky smooth. She wore a scarf on her head and a band-aid under her eye. That first night, we all sat in the living room watching Superman on our floor stand wooden television.

ASN vs BSN: What's The Right Path for this Pre-Nursing Student?

As with anything, there are pros and cons to both pathways and I'll become a Registered Nurse either way, but what's the difference between a Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) vs Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) pathway? Most importantly, what's the best pathways for me?

My Situation
First, I already have a BA in English Literature. Secondly, my goal is to get a Master's therefore, I need to get a BSN in order to get into a Master's Program. Lastly, I have a mortgage and all the bills associated with home ownership.