A
Tribute to My Dad
By
Pierrette
When
you reach a certain age, you begin to reflect on your life. There are so
many things to look back on.
.
Growing
up, I was fortunate to have a built-in first job at Village Chemist.
I loved working with my Dad, especially when it was lunch or dinner-time
and he would buy us burgers from the Good Steer, one of my favorites. And,
where else could you work and get away with doing your homework when there
was a lull, plus asking the boss for some help.
When
I graduated from high school, it was time to move on to my nursing career.
But I failed my nursing boards the first time, and was ready to give up on
the career all together. I can recall Dad sitting on my bed as I was
crying, devastated by that failure. He looked me in the eyes and said,
“really Pierrette, it’s no big deal, I failed the pharmacy boards the
first time around.” I was shocked, because I thought he was so smart,
and if he could fail the boards the first time, maybe that meant I
wasn’t so dumb after all. I decided to give it another chance.
I
thank my Dad for that moment. And, I forgive him for lying! But it worked.
I would soon leave the drugstore to start working as an LPN in a nursing
home. I always knew I would have him as a resource. “Wait, let me call
my Dad.” Thinking he was the only pharmacist on the planet, I always
knew he would have the answers.
After
I got married and had kids, I went to work for him again on Friday nights,
just to get out of the house. By this time he was in a new store, and the
sole proprietor. At one point, his business survived a horrific snowstorm
fire and he came back better than ever. It was such a difficult time for
him – standing by and watching the successful business he built now burn
to the ground. It must have been very painful. But, Village Chemist
did bounce back and lasted 23 more years.
As
my kids got older I slowly made my way back into the field of nursing. As
an RN, I had many areas to explore. I did some hospital nursing, and then
landed myself a school nurse job, which was perfect at that time in our
lives. Many times I would say “Wait, let me call my Dad!” with
professional questions and much needed advice about medications. I felt
like he could fix just about anything, and as a professional now myself, I
knew he had more knowledge and experience than I could ever hope for.
Two
years ago, I remember sitting in my den with him, talking about a huge
career change opportunity. I was crying. I was so confused and scared. I
knew I wanted to make a change, but the comfort of the school job was
holding me back. He looked at me and said, “Pierrette this is a no
brainer; I know you can do it”. The new job was going to have a
significant pay increase and I would have the flexibility I wanted. So,
with his encouragement, I took a leap of faith and have not regretted it
ever since. My new job has given me many opportunities to grow and network
with many healthcare professionals. What would I have done without him? My
own private pharmacist, and once again, I find myself saying all the time,
“Wait, let me call my Dad!”
So
now, as my Father is about to close a wonderful, prosperous and successful
business – he can walk away with his head held high. He has served our
community as a dedicated professional. He has lived by the oath of a
Registered Pharmacist above and beyond. For that he should be proud. His
experience cannot be matched. He has made a difference in so many peoples
lives. Now it’s his turn to sit back, relax, kick off his shoes and take
care of Frank Albergo.
As
he walks away, it’s a new beginning to a new chapter in his incredible
life. I am so blessed that I can call him, Dad!
Quite
a few years ago, I guess I was in my late teens, Grandpa and I were watching a
ball game on TV. It was a close, tense game and the New York Mets seemed to be
getting the worst of it; the breaks were just not falling their way.