Article written by Karen Lyddane
This Texan has the spirit and drive that support her statement: “The girl still has guts.” She said this with a narrowing and sharp eye – no argument could be possible!
In early childhood, Tina was taught by her mother what she knew – how to become a wife. She found herself cooking for the family at seven years of age. A lot happened during this time. Her father and mother separated, he died, and Tina decided right there and then that she would not be a compliant and quiet person-it just wasn’t in her. She had to be silly, she had to have fun! Her grandmother stepped in, and taught Tina the Spanish language. At the advanced age of nine, Tina developed a crush on a boy and said that he was who she would marry. A premonition? Well, she eventually married him! She couldn’t believe that she would be Mrs. Dela Rosa.
At sixteen, Tina decided that she wanted to go away to study. She was ready for an adventure away from home. There was a school in Waco that caught her interest, Baylor, known for being the hardest university in Texas. She applied herself and passed! The beginning of her nursing career started on a commute by bus when she was a bookkeeper. Tina thought it a great way to spend time by reading the posted ads. On a hot August day, riding the bus, she read: “Learn to take care of others and you’ll always take care of yourself.” This ad was for becoming a nurse, of course. Tina made up her mind right then and there-she would become a nurse. An ordinary part of the application process included having a physical. She asked the attending nurse about her job, and the reply was quick and enthusiastic: “It is the best job I could ever have.” Tina was convinced that she was on the right path, as her heart is in helping people. She is, to this day, a “People Person.”
Moving to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the late 1960s showed Tina a different world; she could afford to shop, and shop she did! Garfinkels, Jelleffs, and Lord & Taylor saw her regularly. This was a wonderful time in her life, and being mother to her five children was greatly rewarding.
Also rewarding was her career in nursing. “Take nothing and no one for granted. You’re here for a little bit, and then you’re gone.” Tina Dela Rosa holds these words closely. For, you see, she retired from her best job of all, being an oncology nurse. And, this wasn’t supposed to happen at all, at least, not according to a good friend. Tina had just finished signing a contract, and a friend told her that she absolutely could NOT do that job! She told Tina to immediately resign, which was challenging as Tina hadn’t begun work!
For twelve years, the Bethesda Naval Hospital, as it was called back then, was her workplace. There, she taught about living with cancer to mostly couples. Tina always told the husbands that they should give their wife whatever she wanted – if she asked for something specific, and then changed her mind, they were not to make a face or react in any way except to go and get the latest request. This backfired, though…a patient came into her office one day, weirdly holding her hand. Tina thought to herself that the cancer had nothing to do with her hand but she was wrong – it had everything to do with her hand – on it was a huge diamond cocktail ring! “This is what I got from your teaching!” Tina thought it funny that her patient’s husband, a nice and kind man, took her advice in such a generous way. Throughout her career, she was known for hugging all of her patients, all the time.
Tina has lived in many areas in the Washington area, but her move to The Woodlands four years ago proved a life-changing experience. When she decided to sell her two-bedroom condo and look for a smaller apartment, Bill, her former son-in-law (who remains part of the family) asked her to look at The Woodlands. She’d not thought of living in such a community but found everything perfect. “You don’t know that you’re ready for this lifestyle, but I decided to learn what this type of living is all about.” The gracious chandelier that greeted her in the lobby, the gold-themed elevators (she loves Gold), and the residents made her smile and feel comfortable. Moving during the initial Covid health issue brought a revelation: “I should have memorized eyebrows as I couldn’t see faces!”
What does she like most about her lifestyle? “Where do I start?” Cooking was the first thing to go, although her kitchen is beautiful. Tina is thankful for all the friends she’s ever had, especially those she still knows from her college days, and works on taking nothing for granted. Her born-again experience with God has given a special community friend who prays regularly with her for the residents and staff. She believes that moving to The Woodlands was the best thing she could have done, as being with people, and having the opportunity to do so, is a blessing every day of her life.
