"Our Backstreets" #7
A Message for Nancy

I got word a few weeks ago that cancer had struck my counselor Nancy. She said she was giving up her practice to concentrate on fighting her illness and hoped to come back to the work she loves at the end of a successful battle. I haven’t been to see Nancy in a while. All the hard work we did when I was digging my way out of a divorce and back into a happy and productive life, has long been over. A few smaller crises have come and gone. I guess I always thought that whenever I needed her, she’d tell me in her cheerful voice to come in.

Now I can’t do that, but I don’t feel sorry for myself. Nancy pushed me, coaxed me, cheered me, and taught me how to come out the other end of a bad situation better than before. She said that she had come to trust that I always seemed to know what was good for me and that I would always point my nose in the right direction, even if I got a little sidetracked on the way. So, yes, I know I can take care of myself.

I hope that my example helped Nancy, too. I saw us as a team, so I wanted to do my part. Nancy, you have shown me that your instincts are exceptional, which is why you are such a good counselor. And I, too, trust that you know what’s right for you. The world will miss you at work, doing your best to help people find their way. We are fighting alongside you in spirit and feel confident that you’ll be back, in your brightly colored outfits, with your feet on your foot stool, to share our stories with us. l