Margaret

Margaret was born in Missouri and spent her life as a nurse. She was raised by a single mother who worked as a seamstress and learned early the value of hard work and compassion. At nineteen, she began nursing school and soon joined the Army Nurse Corps. She served four years during the Vietnam War, where she says that she saw the worst of humanity but also the best. She never married and says that her patients were her family. She believes her life reflects a deep sense of care for everyone around her. She is a devoted Catholic and strongly believes in the importance of service. Every Christmas Eve, she lights a candle for the soldier who never made it home and also keeps a scrapbook filled with thank-you notes from the people she once got to care for. Margaret says she finds peace in music by playing piano for other residents because she believes music can heal. She often says that compassion is the hardest thing to practice daily, but she found her purpose in the moments she cared deeply.  To her, being human means to heal, forgive, and also let yourself be healed again and again.