Stepping into the elevator, I absentmindedly pushed the button for the fifth floor, 5C. The elevator was crowded, but I can’t recall who was there with me. My mind was already on the day ahead, mentally preparing for another shift caring for patients. As I moved off the elevator and approached the nurses’ station, the usual hustle and bustle of a busy unit greeted me. It was 6:30 AM, and I was ready for the day shift—a routine I knew well.

As the charge nurse, my responsibility was to ensure the smooth operation of the unit, to be aware of everything going on with our patients, and to support the nurses who needed help. I glanced at the large board displaying everyone’s names and the status of their rooms. One room, however, stood out. It was empty, though it shouldn’t have been. The patient who occupied that room, someone I’d come to know well over the past few years as she received nutritional support and off and on medical treatments was no longer listed.

A quick explanation from a colleague informed me that she had been transferred to the ICU overnight. She had developed adult respiratory distress, and her condition had worsened. Her husband had.been at her side, playing the guitar as they prepared to take her off the ventilator. The news hit me hard. She was more than just a patient to me—she was someone I connected with, someone close to my own age. We had shared many conversations, and now, she was gone.

Her death was a stark reminder of life’s fragility, and it forced me to confront the reality that our time here is limited. In that moment, I realized that I didn’t want her passing to be just another loss, another sad event in a day filled with them. It needed to mean something more. I decided to use this experience to reevaluate my own life, to ask myself how I would feel if I looked back ten years from now. Was I making the best decisions for myself? Was I living in a way that honored the time I have?

This reflection became a turning point for me, a pivot that has shaped how I live my life. I often revisit that question: If I look back ten years from now, how will I feel about the choices I’m making today?

Her memory continues to guide me, reminding me to make the most of every moment and to live with intention. It’s a lesson learned on 5C, a lesson in life, loss, and the importance of living fully, even in the face of inevitable goodbyes.