The question that I'm asked a thousand times, "why did you decide to become a nurse?" No, it's not for the paycheck or the job security like you might think. It's not for the thank-yous or the recognition. It's not for the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed to get that Nursing degree. There isn't one solid answer. I chose to become a nurse for a million small reasons that make my future job worth waking up to every morning.

I will go home with blood, urine, and vomit on my shoes. I will go home some days and feel like I'm on top of the world, and others I will go home and cry because sometimes it's just too much. I will go 8+ hours without using the restroom and forget to eat during my 12-hour shifts because you will always come first to me.

I chose to be a nurse because I want to love people while they're at their weakest moments. I will be the one to restore the dignity of the brand new mom as I help her take her first shower post-C-section. I'll be the one to hold the hand of the alcoholic who has finally decided to fight his addiction. I'll be the one to calm you down when you're in the ER just minutes after your car collided with another and blood is rushing down your face. I will be the one to treat you with respect when you demand your doctor because "I'm just simply a nurse." I will be the one to answer every question with patience and explain every procedure thoroughly to try and ease your mind.

I want to be the one who holds you during your darkest times. I'll be the one to embrace your crying grandmother as she signs her DNR because the treatment just isn't working like it used to. And I will be the one to explain to the family why their dad's heart wasn't strong enough to make it out of surgery. I will be the one to catch the fever and find out the infection has spread to your heart. And the one to explain to your wife exactly what that means. I want to be the one to console the crying mother because her ten-year-old was just diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. I will be the one to relentlessly advocate for the little boy with the suspicious bruises until I am sure he is in a safe place. I'll be the one to explain to the grieving father why his wife didn't make it through childbirth and support him as he learns to care for his child alone. I will be the one to see people during the worst days of their lives, and I will still find a way to love them through it.

I chose to be a nurse because I want to celebrate your happiest moments. I want to blow up the balloons when we finally get the news that your four-year-old daughter finally beat Leukemia. I'll be the one to high-five the elderly man as he takes his first unaccompanied steps down the hallway after months of rehab. I'm going to be the one to tell the young married couple that they're expecting twins and explain how quickly their life will change. I'll be the one to cry with you because your wife with dementia just remembered your name for the first time in weeks. I'm going to be the one to worry and think of you long after you walk out of our doors, simply because I want what's best for you.

I chose to become a nurse for every nurse that takes a moment of their hectic day to help when you're scared because they remember all too well what it's like to be a beginner. I chose to be a nurse for the little girl in the grocery store who tugged on her mom and said "that's what I want to be someday," pointing at my dirty scrubs and hair in a messy bun after a long day at clinical.

I chose to become a nurse for the lonely and the weak, for the hopeful and the happy, for your "rock bottom" and your best day ever. I chose to become a nurse for the smiles, the small thank-you's, and the simple squeeze of my hand as they wheel you into surgery.

I chose to be a nurse because I want to wake up every morning knowing I made at least one small difference in someone's life.