5 Life Lessons I Learned From Reading Cherry Ames & Sue Barton Books

When I was young, we lived in a tiny town in Iowa–population 469. My mom worked at the little library, and I thought I was in book heaven. While she worked, I sat in an aisle and read like crazy.

Some of my favorites were the 1930s, 40s, and 50s nurse stories. Cherry Ames and Sue Barton were my favorites. I read all the Sue Barton books, and I read Rural Nurse many times. I didn’t read as many of the Cherry Ames books, but I loved them.

I come across them at the thrift store from time to time–like the one in the photo. They bring back happy memories of days spent reading in the library while mom worked.
I dreamed of being a hero nurse like Sue or Cherry. I sighed at the handsome men wooing them. These nurses looked so glamorous, and I just knew I had to be a nurse.

When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the hospital as a Candy Striper—a dream come true.
I was so happy to wear that red and white striped dress and run errands throughout the hospital. Taking warm specimens to the lab wasn’t my favorite, but I did it with a smile because I was living my dream.
I even earned my 100 hours of service pin, and I still have it.

I learned a few valuable lessons from these vintage girls.

1. Helping others is why we’re here–nurses or not, we should all be willing to roll up our sleeves and help someone in need.

2. Life is an adventure–it never stops, and you have to make the best of it.

3. Keep your girlfriends close–You never know when you’ll need to solve a mystery, help someone, or get out of a jam.

4. Clothes make the girl–come on! How cool are those uniforms and that cape? (Insert dramatic swoon….).
I found a WWII-era wool nurses cape at the thrift store. I almost kept it so I could swagger around the house looking as cool as my childhood heroes.

5. Books can take you places and give you dreams–I felt like I lived and breathed the adventures these girls took. I thought I’d like to be a nurse, but my creative brain adores words and music and doesn’t do well with math and science. 

My life took a different direction, but I dreamed I was a young nurse having glorious adventures for a while. 

I’m thankful for my mom’s job in that small town library that gave me plenty of time to read and befriend Sue and Cherry. 

What about you? Did you read any of these old nursing stories? What book gave you childhood dreams? 

This is part two of a series on life lessons I learned when reading my favorite childhood books.

Part one—8 Life Lessons I Learned From Reading Anne Of Green Gables

Part two—5 Life Lessons I Learned From Reading Cherry Ames & Sue Barton Books