Greetings all!
I'm currently sitting in my sunshine filled room with a cool breeze streaming in from my open window; its an absolutely gorgeous day here in the city--quite different from the chilled midwest...I'm thinking warm thoughts for you all. Well, friend Annie (see above photo) just left this morning so she can get back to law school; my friends Britt and Mike are staying for a few more days before they head back to the UofM for grad school. We are having an absolute blast together, I miss these friends so much! Below is a picture of me in front of Amy's Bread in the West Village, Amy (the owner) is a graduate from St Olaf; her entrepreneurship with this cafe is profiled as a St Olaf success story. Annie and I couldn't resist trying her red velvet cupcakes.
Day two on our New York adventure together. Riding in the subway on our way for a run in central park.
Three good looking runners hanging out in the lobby of the Plaza :)
The happiness, laughter and care-free time spent with my friends is such a juxtaposition from my nights at work. It is such a privilege to accompany people during some of their hardest challenges in life but as you know, happy endings are no guarantee and more often than not I am supporting people with tears rather than smiles. The past couple weeks I've faced some particularly difficult hardships and situations. I've heard people say time and again, "don't make work personal, don't take work home with you, keep yourself separate from your patients." While this may be good advice to some, it doesn't work for me. I grieve with my patients, I rejoice with them, I cry and smile, laugh and wipe tears; I cannot be immune to their joy or their hurt. The amazing thing is I never feel 'burned out' from the sadness, I always have the desire to go back for more. When I genuinely love and wholeheartedly care, I find myself craving the challenge of work and feeling so joyful and fulfilled....God really does work in beautiful ways.
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"What you see depends on what you are looking for."
-Anonymous
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