I've been of good fortune to come across a few individuals in my life that have been real life "heaven sent angels". People that have arrived in my life at the right time when I needed them the most.
One in particular helped me through my Master's program about 10 years ago. I remember the cold January day, sitting in my late afternoon class listening to my Physiology (for Engineers) professor begin talking about an engineering concept I had yet to learn - Thermo Dynamics. I think my face went ashen and my eyes looked as though I was a deer stuck looking at an on-coming car's headlights. I know I had a panicked feeling and a pit in my stomach, and this sinking feeling that I was getting myself into deep in a "career" I wasn't meant to be in. Just in a matter of a few instants, I thought my dream of working in the biomedical engineering world was collapsing right before me. All I remember about Thermo-Dynamics is that my brother had a rough time with it. Me, I wasn't exactly an engineer - I had taken a lot of courses under the undergraduate engineering course umbrella; however, I wasn't by any means advanced enough to tackle Thermo-Dynamics.
So after class, I walked up to the professor and nervously explained my background and how I was concerned I might not have all the necessary pre-requisits for the class; but really needed to take this class and wanted to know how we could collectively get me through this class successfully. A classmate overheard my anxiety and waited back until the professor and I had finished our conversation and then walked out the door right behind me. He then stopped me and introduced himself to me and said, "I'll help you get through this class". We exchanged emails and that was the beginning of a special friendship. He did help me through my class and a few others too! He's a brilliant man and I felt so lucky that he wanted to help me out. He was foreign student, so I think it helped to have a friend too - even though I'm probably 10 years his senior! We were able to help each other out in our short time at the university we attended.
He's been very good at keeping in touch, me, not so much. Not that I didn't want to - just life sort of got away from me. I got married shortly after I graduated, got pregnant and miscarried - spent a year down and out because of that loss, started a new job, then began the trip down fertility treatment way, lost a job, found a job and got pregnant. So you get the idea that life sort of got away from me and I haven't been the best of friends to so many people just because I got sucked into the vacuum called my life.
I was so happy when shortly after I joined Facebook, he requested my friendship! I was so thankful that after so many years he still wanted to keep in touch, even after I was so very absent in his life. I was so happy to find out that he was married and had a little one and one on the way. Life seems to be going well for him and I am so genuinely happy for him. He's a wonderful person with a big heart and deserves all the good things in life!
Not too long ago I asked him if he could help me network as I redefine my career path. I don't know why I was so surprised at how eager he was to help me out - because that's the kind of guy he is, one that is willing to go to bat for people. He jumped on the "favor" and got me connected and here I am today fortunate enough to have a very aggressive networking plan going. I wrote this post, with the hopes of him reading it - and to let him know, that even though we connect briefly on facebook - he is and will always be a dear friend and that I feel bad that we lost touch for a great part of the last 10 years, but I will never ever forget his kindness that first day of Physiology. He saved my ever lovin' backside from a near disastrous semester!
P.S. - thanks for all of your help Dimi! I hope someday I can return a favor or two or three....
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