Sometimes you find friendship and inspiration in the most unlikely places.

When I took a… Sometimes you find friendship and inspiration in the most unlikely places.

When I took a job working for the medical records department of a hospital over the summer, I never would’ve imagined that I’d meet someone who was so unique and different from anyone I’d ever met, someone who would make me change the way I thought about life.

Since her real name isn’t common and I don’t want to embarrass her, I’ll call her Jane. The first few days I knew Jane, a student worker just like me, we experienced the typical awkwardness of small talk and having nothing to say.

That quickly ended. Jane soon became very outgoing and talkative, engaging all the workers around us. When she asked — in reference to the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” ads — “If it’s not butter, what is it?” I knew it was going to be an interesting summer.

When Jane wasn’t asking perplexing questions, she could be found singing and dancing to the oldies that played, whether or not she knew all the words. Granted, she had a really good voice; I’ve had friends that I’ve known for more than 15 years I still wouldn’t want to hear me sing.

Despite the fact that she only met all of us this summer, she did her thing without caring what anyone thought. I can honestly say that I’ve never met anyone as free or uninhibited as she is.

Although it’s not deliberate, basically all of my friends are very similar to me. It’s probably natural that we tend to be compatible with people who are like us and in relatable situations. So when I began to learn more about Jane and what she has gone through, my admiration for her continued to grow.

When she came to the country from Africa in 2003, her dad opened a savings account for her, put some money it, got her a library card and said, “Go discover the world.” To me, that seems pretty scary for a 17-year-old. But Jane could handle it.

She is practically completely on her own financially. To save a few bucks here and there she gets movies from the Carnegie Library and takes full advantage of Craigslist, a Web site that lists local classified ads. When it comes to purchases, she asks herself if she needs it or simply wants it. If the answer is that she wants it, she forgets about buying it. I’ve never met a 20-year-old with that much discipline when it comes to shopping.

Despite always having to worry about how to make ends meet, Jane never appeared stressed or frustrated. Rather, she always maintained her cheerful attitude. As a matter of fact, after a whole four months of working together, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been able to pick up on a slight trace of a bad mood.

Also, because of her financial situation, Jane isn’t able to partake often in activities that many students enjoy, like going out to eat, seeing a movie at the theater or going to the mall. But she never complained or asked for anyone’s pity.

Although it must be tough to face such responsibility at such a young age, I’m slightly envious of her situation in that I can only imagine how strong and prepared for the future it makes her.

Unfortunately, financial hardship is not all that Jane has had to endure. When she told me the unimaginable circumstances from which her mother was taken from her, I couldn’t believe any person could go through something like that and not only be happy, but make others happy as well.

Jane simply smiled and said, “You gotta put a smile on your face and a song in your heart and move on.”

Such strength and fortitude is something I can only imagine and will always admire her for.

Knowing Jane has also reminded me of things to be thankful for in my own life and encouraged me to be a stronger, more independent person. I have no doubt that I’ve had an easier life than Jane and have been handed a lot more help, but in the end, when out there in there in the real world, it will be her spirit that will get her through anything that comes her way.

I’m convinced that there were days at work that I wouldn’t have made it through if it weren’t for her company. Her bright smile and ridiculously funny questions and comments made it hard to stay in a bad mood for long. In an otherwise drab environment, Jane was able to make everyone’s day a little more pleasant.

I have no idea what Jane’s future holds for her but what I do know is that I’m not worried about her. At age 20, she’s had more life experience than some people will ever obtain, and she has the strength and spirit that most people can only admire.

I have a lot of reasons to be thankful for Jane: for making me laugh when I didn’t think I’d make it through the day, for putting some things into perspective and most importantly, for showing me that it’s possible to be good to life even if life hasn’t been good to you.

E-mail Anjali at [email protected].