My name is Tracy and I live in Millville, Ma. I am the mother of a nine month old daughter. Becoming a parent has absolutely changed my life for the better. Today when I get the urge to do anything stupid, I think of my daughter. Motherhood has definitely driven me to succeed and become a better person. As a parent you become more aware that now you have a little fragile life that’s fully dependent on you. Your life no longer becomes just about you instead all your priorities changes.

I’m from a loud and boisterous culture.  I grew up on a little island in the Caribbean called Grenada. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, and if you meet someone you didn't know, then you could bet that someone you know would know who that person was.  If I happened to get into trouble at school, you could bet by the time I got home my family would have already heard about it, and everyone will be sitting around the table waiting for me, so we can discuss why I happened to do what I did. Grenadians are big on tradition, they believe in respecting ones elders. We’re very big on privacy and minding one’s own business. We place great value on family and friendship. We’re always cheerful, if you happen to pass someone on the street its polite to nod or say hello in greeting.

It has taken me a while to figure out just what it is that I want to do with my life, but I've recently come to the realization that I want to be a nurse. I chose nursing after my grandfather was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and had to be placed in a nursing home. After visiting him a few times I realized that many of these patients don’t get any visitors. Many are placed them in these places by their family members who essentially forget about them; I see how hard my grandfather tries to hold onto his fading memories, he has notes all over his room with names, dates and reminders of things he want to say or ask. It made me realize how hard it must be for someone who’s used to doing things on their own to suddenly find themselves in a place where they feel they have lost their independence. It’s made me realize how much more they deserve our love and respect because they’re not in these places by choice but by the circumstances of their age. It’s made me want to take care of them and show they that they’re still appreciated even if they don’t remember me five minutes later.

                I can still picture myself here