Monday, November 21, 2005
Passing of a Dear Friend
A very close friend of mine, Phyllis McSweeney, died last Friday in Marblehead, Massachusetts. I first met Phyllis when I was tutoring students at North Shore Community College, then in Beverly, Massachusetts, many years ago. She was a full-time student in a 2-year nursing program and a full-time LPN and mother of 5 children in a single-parent household. I was working full-time and exploring what I wanted to do in my life. The particular courses that I helped Phyllis with were Anatomy & Physiology I and II. To make it more interesting for her, and especially for me, I created stories to go through, in detail, every anatomical system of James Bonds' body: respiratory system, digestive system, reproductive system, etc. Although there were days that Phyllis was physically exhausted from doing so much (like working a very long shift the day before), she never missed a tutoring session and always had a warm smile. She stuck it out when others would have quit. Phyllis got her Associate's Degree and became an RN. Best for me, however, she became a dear friend with an open mind and caring heart. I'll miss her very much.