How to answer a kids question.

My daughter (who is 8) loves to text, so she decided to ask my MILs boyfriend (who is VERY smart) a question. here is the conversation:
Mick: why do people say drinking coffee will make you short?
Ed: There is no documented evidence of drinking coffee making you short or stunting your growth. however, coffee contains xanthene derivatives ...caffeine in general is a stimulant, and a diuretic, which means it makes you pee more than you otherwise would. in doing so, it also inhibits the reuptake of calcium in your kidneys. so, one looses more calcium than one otherwise would. Most things aside, that's not a good thing in growing children or old people. the thought probably being that loosing calcium when one's growing means you have smaller bones. caffeine and its derivatives do have other side effects that aren't always desirable. I'd probably keep my caffeine intake to a minimum all things considered
Mick: ok thank you

LMAO. made my day!

Time to finish this.

I have 41 days left of school. That's it. 41 days left. After that I am given a piece of paper that qualifies me to take the most important test of my life so far. A test that I have gambled over $100,000 to take. It's amazing isn't it? The fact that I would gamble so much  money on a test that can give me as few as 75 question or as many as 265....and that after that I will have the ability to help sick people, hold the hands of the dying, reassure a mother that her child will be just fine, make an old man laugh as he attempts to flirt with the new nurse. Finding a job is a whole different ball game, but that will be it. The culmination of 3 long years of studying, dreaming about pituitary glands (yes, I did, they were pink and purple in my dream) and waking up in a panic because I didn't remember charting something (when in reality I did chart it, but in nursing school, you worry about it all!).

Three years of seeing really sick people and managing to get them to smile. Three years of seeing not so sick people and wondering, "What can I do for YOU?". Three years of tears, frustration, joy, fear, trepidation. It will all be over. In 41 days I can take that test. The test that will judge my worth as a student and as a potential nurse. In 41 days I will quake in fear sitting outside of one hospital or another wondering if this interview will be the one, will this one earn me my job? In 41 days I will second guess myself after every "Submit" button that will send my resume to complete strangers who will scrutinize me and judge whether or not I am worthy of the interview. (If you are that person judging me, please, call me for the interview. I swear, I will be great and I will be worth your time).

In 41 days, one part of my life will end, and another will begin. Expectations will be higher. The tears will be more. The joy, laughter and feelings of completeness will increase. The trepidation of the incoming patient will increase. The stakes will be raised. No longer can I say, "I'm a student" and have people give me the answer I can't figure out....in 41 days I will be expected to know the answers for the students that come behind me.

I can do it. I can add those letters "BSN, RN" after my name and know that I am doing them justice.

I can be all that I am expected to be, and more. I will be all that I am expected to be, and I will be more.